BEIJING, Dec 28 (Reuters) - At least 10 people, including
five children, died when their overloaded minibus plunged into a
mountain valley in southern China on Friday, state media
reported, the latest in a string of such accidents which have
sparked public anger.
The nine-seat vehicle was carrying 20 people when it ran off
the road in Guangxi region, the official Xinhua news agency
reported. Ten survived, including a three-month-old infant who
was in critical condition, it added.
The deaths of 18 nursery school children in a bus crash in
November last year caused a wave of fury and prompted Premier
Wen Jiabao to pledge more money for rural bus services,
especially for those carrying children.
Earlier this week, 11 Chinese kindergarten children died
when their minivan fell into a pond.
Despite the pledge, there has been a string of similar
accidents. Transport is notoriously dangerous in rural China,
where buses and trucks are old and badly maintained and traffic
rules are widely ignored.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Nick Macfie)