At least 13 people have died following a road accident involving a minibus and a truck on a highway in central China.
Traffic police said the crash happened in the early hours of Thursday in Henan Province near Nanyang city, a densely populated area with about nine million residents.
According to authorities, the minibus collided with a truck on the G40 expressway, a major route connecting Shanghai in eastern China to Shaanxi Province in the north.
Police revealed that 16 people were inside the minibus at the time of the crash, even though the vehicle was only licensed to carry nine passengers. Three other occupants survived but sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment.
Officials have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the accident, but investigations are ongoing.
China’s Ministry of Public Security has reportedly sent a special team to the scene to assist with the investigation and determine what led to the fatal collision.