A bus crashed into a ravine in a mountainous county in central China's Hubei Province Saturday afternoon, leaving at least 16 people dead and another one missing.

Local authorities say the sleeper coach, with 34 people on board, plunged into the river dozens of meters below the highway in Xiangshan County of Yichang City. 

The crash also injured the rest 17 people inside the bus, most of them severely.

 

China urgeds consultation over suspended joint hydropower project

China has urged consultation over a suspended joint hydropower project in Myanmar, saying the legitimate rights and interests of its companies should be protected.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei made the appeal after reports said Myanmar President Thein Sein will order the suspension of the jointly invested project. 

He says the project has gone through scientific feasibility studies and strict examinations by both sides. 

The hydropower plant project started in December 2009. With an installed capacity of 6,000 megawatts, it is estimated to yield about 30,000 million kilowatt-hours a year on completion by 2019.

 

530 Million People Travel on Holiday

More than 530 million people are expected to go on a journey during the week-long National Day holiday starting Saturday. That's an increase of nearly 10 percent from the same period last year

The Ministry of Transport says a total of 840,000 coaches are in service across the country to deal with the flood of tourists during the week-long holiday .

 

China stresses work safety in upcoming holiday 

China's industry and commerce watchdog has urged local authorities to step up safety checks and regulation during the seven-day National Day Holiday.

The State Administration for Industry and Commerce says in an urgent circular that local supervisory bodies must pay special attention to enterprises in the mining, hazardous chemicals and fireworks sectors.

It calls for severe punishment for illegal behaviors that compromise work safety.

The circular says emergency response plans should be made to ensure accidents are dealt with expeditiously.

 

China issues alert as typhoon Nalgae sweeps South China Sea 

China's National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center has warned residents in the country's southern provinces to take precautionary measures against approaching typhoon Nalgae.

It says local authorities and residents are asked to intensify safety checks on fishing facilities off the coast of southeastern Fujian and Guangdong provinces as Nalgae sweeps across the eastern part of the South China Sea.

The center issued a yellow alert for sea waves on Saturday. A yellow alert is the second-lowest alert level in the country's four-level rainstorm alert system.

 

Over 35,000 drug users treated in rehab centers: ministry 

China's Judicial authorities have set up 59 provincial-level rehabilitation centers and treated more than 35,000 drug users through the country's efforts to curb drug-related crimes and maintain social stability.

An official with the Ministry of Justice says the centers receive substance abusers who enter voluntarily or are forced into treatment.

He says the centers are exploring ways to help drug addicts break their habits, recover from psychological or mental problems and better integrate themselves back into society.