18 Elderly People Killed As Bus Plunges Into Pond

Beijing: Eighteen elderly people were killed and two others injured on Friday when an overloaded mini bus plunged into a roadside pond in central China's Hubei province, police said.

Two others including the driver was injured in the accident. The nine-seater bus carrying 19 people met with the accident near Miaoling Township in Ezhou City, killing 18 people, head of the information office of the city government said. According to police, the accident occurred at 6 am near Miaoling Township, Ezhou City, Hubei Province. The bus was not registered as a commercial commuter vehicle and was overloaded, which caused the accident, police said. Many of the casualties were over 60 years old, the oldest being 74.

Police are questioning the driver and have launched an investigation, the report said. According to Ma Yichun, a work safety and supervision official for the city, heavy fog with visibility of less than 100 meters may have led to the accident.

PTI