6 killed, 20 injured as bus flips over on China highway

Six people died and 20 others were injured when a bus flipped over on a highway in southwestern China, local authorities reported.

Another three people were in critical condition following Saturday’s accident on the main road connecting the city of Xichang with the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu, police reported.

All but 10 of the 36 people on board were hospitalized. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

China has sought to end accidents caused by overloaded and badly maintained vehicles, as well as restricting drivers’ hours to avoid exhaustion. Better maintained roads have helped to stem the death toll, although enforcing the rules tends to be less rigorous in rural areas.

A particular concern has been school minibuses taking children to class from far-flung villages, along with vehicles transporting low-paid workers to jobs along the more prosperous east coast.