At least 26 people were killed and dozens injured when a Shanghai-bound bus overturned on an icy highway in Shaanxi Province and rolled down a river bank.

　　The accident occurred before dawn Saturday on a highway linking Xi'an and Zhouzhi County in the northern province.

　　In addition to the dead, 46 persons were injured, including five children. At least 18 of the injuries were considered serious.

　　The bus, with 72 passengers aboard, rolled over and crashed down a riverbank at about 5am on Saturday.

　　The motor coach, from neighboring Sichuan Province, was carrying mostly farmers who were traveling to Shanghai to look for jobs.

　　Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the crash.

　　Police detained the owner and driver of the bus, said local sources.

　　Li bo, the driver, told officers that a rock rolled from a mountain slope and struck his front window. He said he was unable to keep the bus under control on the icy road.

　　Top officials from the provincial and city governments have traveled to the site to guide the investigation and rescue work.

　　Also on Saturday, nine people were killed and four injured in a traffic accident in Pingtang County in southwestern China's Guizhou Province, according to local police. The accident happened at 3:30pm, when a bus carrying 13 people from Pingtang to Huishui County drove off the road.(AP/Xinhua)