36 dead in bus crash

EDIT CONTAINS 4:3 MATERIAL

A bus collided with a methanol tanker in northwest China early on Sunday (August 26) and burst into flames, killing 36 people, state media said, in the latest incident to highlight China's dangerous roads.

Three of the 39 bus passengers travelling around 2 a.m. on a highway near Yan'an, Shaanxi province, survived the crash and were being treated in hospital, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Traffic accidents are among the leading causes of death in China, according to public health officials, as new and often poorly trained drivers take to the roads in greater numbers.

State media reports citing police figures say about 100,000 people have been killed in traffic accidents annually over the past decade, with the figure dipping to 70,000 last year.