Society

Bus crash kills 23, injures 29 in C china

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-07-04 14:54

Latest:

Police in central Hubei Province said 23 people are confirmed dead after a rear-end collision Monday morning. The death toll was earlier mistaken for 26 as the bodies of the victims were badly burnt in the accident and difficult to identify, said a spokesman with the Hubei traffic police headquarters, who also said 29 suffered injuries, two less than what was previously reported.

Previous report：

WUHAN - At least 15 people died and over 30 were injured Monday morning when a long-distance coach was hit by a truck and caught fire in Central China's Hubei province, local police said.

The accident occurred at about 3:50 am on the Xiantao section of the Suizhou-Yueyang expressway, which links Suizhou in Hubei with Yueyang in adjacent Hunan province.

A spokesman with the Hubei traffic police headquarters said the bus, bound for Tianmen city from southern Guangdong province, was hit by the truck from the behind and ran off the road.

The bus then overturned and caught fire, according to the spokesman.

The casualties are from both the bus and the truck. The injured passengers have been sent to nearby hospitals with no word as of yet regarding their conditions.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident.