China coach collision leaves 21 dead
2006-07-11

Category Train Accident Nations China States Fujian Ningxia Yunnan

A coach has crashed head-on with another vehicle on a highway in southwest China's Yunnan province, killing 21 people and injuring 34 others.

The accident happened Tuesday when the vehicles were traveling on a section of a highway undergoing maintenance work between the city of Xuanwei and Yunnan's capital Kunming, the Xinhua news agency said.

At least 50 passengers were on board the vehicles and 18 died on the spot, Xinhua said.

Five seriously-injured victims were in critical condition, according to the public security office of Quqing city, where the accident took place, said Xinhua.

Meanwhile, the death toll from a collision between a truck and a bus in southwest China's Fujian province Sunday rose to 14 as a seriously-injured victim died Tuesday, Xinhua said quoting a local hospital.

Another 13 injured, except for a heavily-wounded woman, were all out of danger, Xinhua cited an official as saying in Shaowu city where the accident took place.

Police have arrested the truck driver who was blamed for causing the accident, Xinhua said.

The death toll from a bus-train collision in northern China's Ningxia region on Tuesday rose to 14 with another two deaths, Xinhua said. Another 14 people were injured when the bus full of teachers collided with the train in Zhongwei city.

China's roads are some of the world's most dangerous with nearly 42,000 people killed in traffic accidents in the first six months of this year, according to government statistics.