Blast aboard Chinese bus kills 11 people

An explosion aboard a bus killed 11 people early today in southern China, a government news agency reported.

The explosion occurred at about 7.05am local time, just after the bus left a terminal in Tianzhu County in Guizhou province, the Xinhua News Agency said.

Five people were killed on the spot and six died later at a hospital, Xinhua said. It said 15 other people were being treated for injuries.

The cause of the blast was under investigation, the report said.

China has suffered a string of fatal explosions aboard public buses in recent years, blamed on both bomb attacks and accidents with gas canisters and other dangerous cargo.