According to Hunan provincial officials and local police, 26 people were killed and 28 injured after a tour bus caught fire on a highway in central China’s province.
The provincial spokesman’s office said Saturday that five of those injured were in critical condition.
The fire happened at around 7:15pm Friday along a stretch of Hanshou County in the city of Changde. Aboard were 56 people, including 53 passengers, a tour guide and two drivers, both of whom have been detained as authorities investigate the cause of the accident.
Photos from the scene show the 59-seater bus’s interior completely charred, possibly indicating the fire started with materials on board. Industrial and transport safety remain major problems in China.