At least 13 people have lost their lives after a passenger minibus collided with a truck on a major highway in central China, traffic authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The crash happened in the early hours of Thursday along the G40 expressway G40 Expressway, near Nanyang city Nanyang in Henan.
Police reports indicate that the minibus ran into the truck while travelling on the busy route that connects Shanghai in eastern China to Shaanxi province in the north. The vehicle was carrying 16 passengers at the time, despite being registered to hold only nine people.
Three survivors were injured in the incident and have been taken for medical attention.
Investigators have not yet determined what led to the collision, and no immediate explanation has been given by authorities.
China’s Ministry of Public Security has since deployed a task force to the scene to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash and begin a full investigation.