Eleven killed in China bus accident: state media
February 6, 2011 - 0:0
BEIJING (AFP) – Eleven people were killed when a minibus toppled into a reservoir in southeastern China, state media reported Saturday, in the latest fatal crash on the country's notoriously dangerous roads.
The accident happened Friday afternoon near Shaowu city in Fujian province when the driver of the minibus with 21 people on board apparently swerved to avoid a motorbike, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing local authorities.The bus rolled over and fell into the Qianling hydropower station reservoir, a child and a baby were among those killed.
Nine people were rescued, while about 200 police and rescuers were searching for one person still missing.
China's roads are among the most dangerous in the world, with traffic laws widely flouted.
Almost 70,000 people died in road accidents in 2009, or around 190 fatalities a day, according to police statistics.