A passenger coach crashed into the wall of an expressway tunnel in China's northwest, killing at least 36 people and injuring 13 others, official media reported on Friday.

The accident occurred in Shaanxi province late on Thursday as the coach was on its way to Luoyang, a city in central China, from Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the provincial police bureau.

The injured were sent to the hospital and rescue efforts were ongoing.

According to Sina news website, the bus had a 51-passenger capacity and was carrying 49 people, including two children.</s>At least 36 people were killed and 13 others injured after a bus rammed into a tunnel on the Xi’an-Hanzhong Expressway in northwest China’s Shaanxi province late last night, local authorities said today.

The accident occurred at around 11:34 pm (local time) when the mini bus ferrying passengers hit a wall of the Qinling tunnel on the expressway, state-run Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Shaanxi public security department.

The bus was travelling to Luoyang city in Henan province from Chengdu city, the capital of Sichuan province in he southwest. The injured have been admitted to a hospital and rescue work is underway, it said.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>At least 36 killed in China bus crash

Police and firefighters work near the wreckage of a coach after it crashed into the wall of a tunnel along the Xi'an-Hanzhong expressway in Ankang, Shaanxi province August 11, 2017. — Reuters picBEIJING, Aug 11 — At least 36 people were killed and 13 injured when a packed bus slammed into a wall at the mouth of an expressway tunnel in northern China, authorities said today.

The coach crashed at the Qinling tunnel in Ankang, a city in Shaanxi province, yesterday night, according to the State Administration of Work Safety.

The bus appears to have struck the wall just outside the tunnel as an AFP photo showed authorities placing a long tarp over to the right of the entrance, with another cover concealing the coach, which was a few metres back on a bridge.

Earlier photos published by the official Xinhua news agency showed that the front of the red bus had caved in due to the force of the crash.

The photos showed a tow truck at the scene along with rescue workers surveying the damage on the bridge just outside the tunnel near forested hills. Twisted metal was strewn in front of the bus, several windows were broken and a front tyre was blown out.

“The coach was seriously mangled,” the State Administration of Work Safety said in a statement, adding the cause of the accident was under investigation.

The bus had departed from Chengdu in southwest Sichuan province en route to the central city of Luoyang.

The injured have been rushed to hospital. The bus had a 51-passenger capacity and was carrying 49 people, the statement said. Local media said two children were aboard.

Sichuan province is already reeling from another tragedy as 20 people were killed and hundreds more injured in an earthquake that struck the region Tuesday night.

Deadly road accidents are common in China, where traffic regulations are often flouted or go unenforced by police.

The country's frequently overcrowded long-distance buses are particularly prone to fatalities.

There were more than 180,000 traffic accidents and 58,000 deaths in 2015, authorities said in December.

Traffic law violations caused almost 90 per cent of the road accidents where people died or were injured in 2015, with the total number of such infractions reaching an astonishing 442 million.

Last month, 11 people died and nine were injured when a bus carrying 19 people collided with a lorry on a national highway in northern Hebei province.

Ten people were killed and 38 injured in March when a bus collided with a cement truck in the southwestern province of Yunnan.

At least 18 people were killed when a minibus plunged into a lake in the central city of Wuhan in December.

And in July last year, a coach crashed through a highway guardrail and plunged into a canal near the northern city of Tianjin, killing 26. — AFP</s>BEIJING — A passenger bus crashed into the wall of an expressway tunnel in China’s northwest, killing at least 36 people and injuring 13 others, official media reported Friday. The injured were sent to the hospital and rescue efforts were ongoing.

The accident occurred in Shaanxi province late Thursday as the bus was on its way to Luoyang, a city in central China, from Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan, the Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the provincial police bureau.

More details were not immediately available, and it wasn’t clear if the bus was the only vehicle involved

Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun ordered a swift investigation into the accident, according to state broadcaster China Central Television.

Highway accidents are common in China because of high speeds, aggressive driving and a failure to leave adequate braking distance. The World Health Organization estimates that traffic accidents kill around 260,000 people in mainland China each year — a rate of 18.8 in every 100,000 people.</s>BEIJING: At least 36 people were killed and 13 injured when a packed bus slammed into a wall at the mouth of an expressway tunnel in northern China, authorities said Friday.

The coach crashed at the Qinling tunnel in Ankang, a city in Shaanxi province, on Thursday night, according to the State Administration of Work Safety.

The bus appears to have struck the wall just outside the tunnel as an Agence France-Presse photo showed authorities placing a long tarp over to the right of the entrance, with another cover concealing the coach, which was a few meters back on a bridge.

Earlier photos published by the official Xinhua news agency showed that the front of the red bus had caved in due to the force of the crash.

The photos showed a tow truck at the scene along with rescue workers surveying the damage on the bridge just outside the tunnel near forested hills. Twisted metal was strewn in front of the bus, several windows were broken and a front tyre was blown out.

“The coach was seriously mangled,” the State Administration of Work Safety said in a statement, adding the cause of the accident was under investigation.

The bus had departed from Chengdu in southwest Sichuan province en route to the central city of Luoyang.

The injured have been rushed to hospital. The bus had a 51-passenger capacity and was carrying 49 people, the statement said. Local media said two children were aboard.

Sichuan province is already reeling from another tragedy as 20 people were killed and hundreds more injured in an earthquake that struck the region Tuesday night.

Deadly road accidents are common in China, where traffic regulations are often flouted or go unenforced by police.

The country’s frequently overcrowded long-distance buses are particularly prone to fatalities.

There were more than 180,000 traffic accidents and 58,000 deaths in 2015, authorities said in December.

Traffic law violations caused almost 90 percent of the road accidents where people died or were injured in 2015, with the total number of such infractions reaching an astonishing 442 million.</s>BEIJING
• At least 36 people were killed and 13 injured when a packed bus slammed into a wall at the mouth of an expressway tunnel in northern China.

The coach struck the wall just outside the Qinling tunnel in Ankang, a city in Shaanxi province, on Thursday night, said the State Administration of Work Safety.

Media photos showed twisted metal strewn in front of the bus, with several windows broken and a front tyre blown out.

"The coach was seriously mangled," the State Administration of Work Safety said in a statement, adding that the cause of the accident was under investigation.

The bus had departed from Chengdu in south-west Sichuan province en route to the central city of Luoyang.

The injured were taken to hospital. The bus had a 51-passenger capacity and was carrying 49 people, the statement said. Local media said two children were on board.

Sichuan province is already reeling from another tragedy as 23 people were killed and hundreds injured in an earthquake that struck the region on Tuesday night.

China's frequently overcrowded long-distance buses are particularly prone to fatalities.

Last month, 11 people died when a bus carrying 19 people collided with a lorry on a national highway in northern Hebei province.</s>BEIJING: At least 36 people were killed and 13 injured when a packed bus slammed into a tunnel wall on an expressway in northern China, state media said Friday.

The coach crashed in Qinling tunnel in Shaanxi province on Thursday night, according to Xinhua news agency, which cited local authorities.

The bus had departed from Chengdu in southwest Sichuan province en route to the central city of Luoyang.

The injured have been rushed to hospital, Xinhua said. According to Sina news website, the bus had a 51-passenger capacity and was carrying 49 people, including two children.

Sichuan province is already reeling from another tragedy as 20 people were killed and hundreds more injured in an earthquake that struck the region on Tuesday night.

Deadly road accidents are common in China, where traffic regulations are often flouted or go unenforced by police.

The country’s frequently overcrowded long-distance buses are particularly prone to fatalities.

There were more than 180,000 traffic accidents and 58,000 deaths in 2015, authorities said in December.

Traffic law violations caused almost 90 percent of the road accidents where people died or were injured in 2015, with the total number of such infractions reaching an astonishing 442 million.

Last month, 11 people died and nine were injured when a bus carrying 19 people collided with a lorry on a national highway in northern Hebei province.

Ten people were killed and 38 injured in March when a bus collided with a cement truck in the southwestern province of Yunnan.

At least 18 people were killed when a minibus plunged into a lake in the central city of Wuhan in December.

Last November, a pile-up on an expressway in the northern province of Shanxi killed 17 people and damaged 56 vehicles.

And in July last year, a coach crashed through a highway guard rail and plunged into a canal near the northern city of Tianjin, killing 26. AFP</s>At least 36 people were killed and 13 injured in China after a bus crashed into the wall of an expressway tunnel in the northwest province of Shaanxi, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

The accident took place late on Thursday while bus was heading to Central Luooyang from Southwest China’s Chengdu city. It crashed into the wall of a tunnel on the Xi’an-Hanzhong expressway. There were 49 passengers on board, The Telegraph reported, quoting the Sina news website.

The injured have been taken to a hospital, and rescue work is still on. Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun has ordered an investigation into the mishap, state broadcaster China Central Television reported.</s>BEIJING -- A long-distance passenger bus crashed into the wall of an expressway tunnel in China's northwest, killing at least 36 people and injuring 13 others, official media outlets reported today.

The front end of the red bus was left mangled after it plowed into the wall at the entrance to the tunnel on a four-lane highway, according to photos published by state media outlets.

The crash occurred in Shaanxi province shortly before midnight Thursday as the bus with a legal carrying capacity of 51 people was on its way to Luoyang, a city in central China, from Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan.

Such long-distance buses are a common mode of transport, particularly for migrant workers and other low-income Chinese.

The Xinhua News Agency and other media outlets said the bus was the only vehicle damaged, although it wasn't clear whether any other vehicles were involved in the crash. Photos on news websites showed the vehicle being towed out of the tunnel with no sign of it having caught fire. Two children were among those killed, and all the injured had been taken to a hospital, the reports said.

Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun ordered a swift investigation into the accident, according to state broadcaster China Central Television.

The World Health Organization estimates that traffic accidents kill around 260,000 people in mainland China each year -- a rate of 18.8 in every 100,000 people.</s>A passenger bus in China crashed into the wall of a tunnel on Thursday, leaving 36 people dead and 13 injured, according to officials.

The accident happened in an expressway tunnel in Shaanxi province as the passenger coach was in transit to Luoyang, a city in central China, from Chengdu, the capital of Sischuan, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Minister of Public Security Gio Shengkun ordered an investigation of the accident, Chinese state-media reported.

Highway accidents are common in China because of high speeds, aggressive driving and a failure to leave adequate braking distance.

The World Health Organization estimates that traffic accidents kill around 260,000 people in mainland China each year -- a rate of 18.8 in every 100,000 people.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
At least 36 people die in a bus crash in China's Shaanxi province. The bus was travelling between Chengdu and Luoyang.