Two people are dead and 38 injured after a long-distance bus overturned and was hit by a truck in southwest China on Tuesday, local authorities told Xinhua on Wednesday.

The accident happened at 9:23 a.m. when the bus, heading to Hezhou City, in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from neighboring Guangdong Province, overturned in Muchong Tunnel on the highway between Hezhou City and Zhongshan County, firefighters said.

The bus was not overloaded when the accident occurred, police said, but they would not give information on the number of passengers aboard.

Two died at the scene before medical workers arrived.

Three fire engines with 40 firefighters rescued five passengers and dealt with the leaking petrol.

All the injured were taken to hospital.

One person was seriously injured and others were stable, police said.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2009)