A bus carrying 43 people ran off the road and plunged into a six-meter-deep gully, killing 14 and injuring 29 on Sunday in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Aba of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The bus was traveling on Highway 317 towards Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, from Sertar County in Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, when the accident happened at 10:20 a.m..

The injured are being treated in hospital and 15 are described as critical.

Local police are still investigating the cause of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2004)