15 tourists killed as bus plunges down ravineRex


Fifteen people have been killed after a tourist bus plunged down a ravine in north China's Shanxi Province.

The 35-seat bus, which was carrying 34 people, was en route to Jinzheng City in Shanxi Province from neighbouring Henan Province at the time of the incident.

The crash is reported to have killed 15 people while a further 19 had to be taken to hospital.

According to inautonews.com, the driver and 18 passengers were injured, including two listed in critical condition and 12 with serious wounds, authorities said.

The local police told the site that the bus driver lost control on a bend, causing the vehicle to plummet 50 metres in to the rocky gorge.



Rescuers were seen hauling people from the wreckage, which had to be lifted out of the gorge by a crane.

China's roads are renowned for being dangerous, with three separate crashes killing 28 people in one day last month in southern China.

According to AFP, police statistics show that around 70,000 people die and 300,000 more are injured in road accidents every year in China.

But the World Health Organisation said the true figure could be almost double that.


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