17 dead, 54 injured in bus accident

Beijing, October 03: Seventeen people died when an overloaded coach crashed in central China, state media says.

A further 54 passengers were wounded in the accident in Hunan province on Friday, the official Xinhua news agency said, quoting local authorities.

A preliminary investigation found there were 71 passengers on board on a coach designed to carry only 30, according to the report.

The extra weight and a brake failure caused it to overturn as it descended a hill, Xinhua said.

—Agencies