Six people died and four were seriously injured in a traffic accident in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Thursday, local police reported.

The accident happened at 7:40 AM on National Highway 312 in Jingyuan County of Guyuan City, when a truck suddenly overturned on the highway and an oncoming bus with 17 passengers on board crashed into it.

A fire broke out after the accident. Two people on the bus, a driver and a passenger, died at the scene. Five others who were seriously injured were taken to a nearby hospital where one later died.

A crane had to be called in to separate the truck from the bus. At 9:35 AM, three people trapped in the truck were found dead.

It is not clear why the truck overturned on a fine day when driving conditions were good. An investigation into the accident is underway, local police said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2007)