A bus plunged into a river in southwest China on Tuesday killing 19 people and injuring 13 others as millions of Chinese returned from their Lunar New Year holidays, state media reported.
The accident took place in mountainous Guizhou province, on a road linking the cities of Chishui and Zunyi.
The injured were being treated at a hospital in Renhuai City, local authorities said. Guizhou was one of the provinces hardest hit in recent weeks by record snowfalls that wreaked havoc on the country’s road and rail network. The report did not say whether the roads were icy at the time of the accident.
Rescue teams were at the scene to search for passengers possibly trapped in the bus, which was completely submerged.
There were 33 passengers aboard the bus when it left Chishui, but it was not clear how many had gotten on or off before the accident. An investigation was under way to determine the cause.
Tuesday was the end of the New Year holiday in China, and many people were on the road heading back to their places of work.
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