At least 13 people have died after an overloaded passenger bus crashed into the back of a truck along a major highway in central China.
The tragic accident occurred in the early hours of Thursday in Henan Province, with authorities confirming that the bus was carrying far more passengers than its approved capacity.
According to reports by state broadcaster, CCTV, the crash happened around 2:40 a.m. on a section of the G40 highway linking Shanghai to Xi’an in Shaanxi Province.
The passenger bus, an SAIC MAXUS vehicle designed to carry nine people, reportedly had 16 occupants on board at the time of the collision.
Investigators said the bus rammed into the rear of a semi-trailer truck travelling ahead of it.
The impact of the crash claimed the lives of 13 people, raising fresh concerns over road safety violations and overcrowded commercial transport operations in China.
Authorities are yet to release further details on the identities of the victims or the possible cause of the collision, while investigations into the incident are ongoing.
