Ten dead after van hits bus in south China

NANNING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Ten people died and two others were injured when a coach collided with an overcrowded van packed with migrant workers on Thursday morning in China's southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the local government said.

The accident occurred at 6:40 a.m. in Zhaisha Town, Luzhai County of Liuzhou City, when a coach, heading from neighboring Guangdong Province to the southwestern Guizhou Province, smashed head-on into a van carrying 12 people, said Mo Liquan, Luzhai County deputy head.

Ten people in the van, including the driver, died at the scene. Two others, also from the van, were injured. The coach only suffered damage to its front end. No one aboard was hurt.

The van was only allowed to carry a maximum of five passengers, Mo said. He added all the victims were natives of Guizhou's Dejiang County who had intended to find work in Guangdong.

The injured were receiving treatment in hospital. An investigation into the cause is underway.