13 die as bus falls into valley

THIRTEEN people were killed and 41 others were injured in a road accident in north China's Shanxi Province, local authorities said yesterday.

The accident happened at 3:50pm on Friday when a bus carrying 54 people from Hebei Province to Taiyuan, Shanxi's capital city, plunged 50 meters into a valley while driving along a winding mountain road in Yangquan City.

Ten passengers were killed instantly while three others died on the way to hospital.

Another 41 people, including the driver, were injured and received medical treatment.

Three were in a critical condition and six others were serious, according to an official, surnamed Shi, from the Yangquan publicity department.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.