34 killed as bus plunges into Chinese river

An exhausted driver sent an overcrowded bus plunging into a river in northwestern China, killing 34 passengers.

The driver and six passengers were rescued after the bus plunged 30ft into a river in the Xinjiang region.

The driver, Aimaiti Maimaiti, was arrested, said a policeman in Xinhe.

The policeman declined to give his name or release additional details.

According to reports in newspapers and the official Xinhua News Agency, the bus was licensed to carry 29 people but had 42 on board.

In addition, Maimaiti was tired from the overnight drive from Urumqi, the Xinjiang capital, the reports said.

The fate of the additional person was not clear.

The bus was headed for Kashgar in Xinjiang's south.

Such overnight buses, many fitted with bunks, are a major form of transportation in rural China.

But regulation of the transportation business is lax, and vehicles and roads are often in poor condition.

Thousands die in bus accidents each year, despite harsh punishments for those found responsible.