Nine people were confirmed dead and 15 others injured after a passenger bus collided into a parked truck Thursday in north China's Hebei Province, local police said.

The accident occurred at 11:30 a.m. on a highway in Xianxian County. Two were killed at the scene and seven died at the hospital. Another 15 were injured.

The 28-seat bus was carrying 25 passengers.

Local police is investigating the cause of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2009)