Three people were killed and 29 were injured when a tour bus plunged into a river in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The accident occurred at about 10 AM Monday, when the bus carrying 31 ran off the expressway from the Tongchuan City to Huangling County, ploughed through railings for 60 meters, and plunged into the five-meter-deep Qishui River.

The bus hit and killed a pedestrian, while one passenger died at the scene and another died in hospital.

The other 29 people on the bus, including the driver and two tour guides, are receiving treatment. Three are in a serious condition.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident and are expected to make a finding in two or three days.

Wang Xiaojun, head of the expressway police, said all the passengers were from Xuchang in neighboring Henan Province, and were visiting the Mausoleum of Huangdi, which, according to legend, founded the Chinese civilisation about 4,000 years ago. His mausoleum is located in Huangling in Shaanxi Province.

Twenty-five road traffic accidents involving tour buses with 79 deaths had been reported in China by the end of August this year, raising concerns over the safety standards of tourist operations.

(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2006)