26 killed as bus catches fire on highway in China

International Desk Published: 23 March 2019, 12:59 PM | Updated: 23 March 2019, 12:59 PM

26 killed as bus catches fire on highway in China

Grisly car accidents are common in China, where transport authorities struggle to enforce safety regulations, which are often flouted. (File photo: AFP)

Twenty-six people were killed and 28 others injured after a tour coach bus caught fire in central China's Hunan Province on Friday, local authorities said.

The injured, including five in critical condition, were rushed to three local hospitals for treatment, according to the publicity department of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, news agency Xinhua reported.

The accident happened on Friday evening when the 59-seater bus from neighbouring Henan province suddenly caught fire on a highway in Hanshou County in the city of Changde.

There were 56 people on board, including 53 passengers, two drivers and a tour guide.

The two drivers were arrested and an investigation into the cause of the accident is under way.

Source: NDTV