Vehicle accident in east China kills 13: Xinhua

A collision between a tour bus and a truck in eastern China on Sunday left 13 people dead and another 21 injured, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The tour bus from Shanghai taking visitors to a flower show in neighbouring Jiangsu province veered into the opposite lane and was hit head on by the oncoming truck, the report said.

The bus was carrying 33 people and four of the injured are in critical condition. The driver of the truck was killed instantly.

Photos carried by Shanghai's Xinmin Evening News showed a gold bus with its roof partly torn off while the cab of the truck caved in from the impact.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, Xinhua said.

China's roads are notoriously dangerous, with traffic laws and safety widely flouted. Bus operators often seek to cram as many people as they can into their vehicles to maximise profits and drivers hurtle down highways.

Earlier this month, 24 people were killed and two injured after a bus and truck collided in the eastern province of Anhui.

Last year alone, more than 62,000 people died in traffic accidents, state media said, cited police figures.

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