Bus accident kills 11, injures 39 in northeast China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-16 10:15

HARBIN - A bus turned over on an expressway in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Saturday, killing 11 people and injuring 39 others, local authorities said.

The accident took place at about 4:40 pm on the expressway in Yilan County in the provincial capital Harbin, when the vehicle was driving up a slope, said Wang Wenbo, of the provincial highway administration.

Over-speed was to blame for the accident, he said, citing that the bus was traveling at a speed of 130 km per hour.

"Patrolling traffic police and highway administration staff have asked the driver to slow down, but he didn't listen," he said.

The bus, which was carrying 50 people, was also overloaded, he said. The injured people are being treated at a local hospital.

Despite light snow at the time of the accident, the road condition remained good and visibility was not reduced, he said.

But an initial investigation by Harbin police found slippery road and improper operation by the driver were to blame for the accident, a police spokesman said.

The driver was among the dead, and the owner of the bus has been taken into custody, he said.