A BUS with a dozen passengers onboard suddenly veered onto the wrong side of the road and collided into a private car before plunging into the Yangtze River yesterday, police in Southwest China’s Chongqing said.

    Two bodies had been retrieved from the river as of evening after the bus broke through road fencing and drove off a bridge into the Chongqing section of the Yangtze River, China’s longest waterway, at around 10 a.m. yesterday in Wanzhou District.

    According to a preliminary investigation, the bus crossed over the line marking the center of the bridge and crashed into the car that was driving legally on the opposite side. Surveillance cameras show more than 10 people, including the driver, were on the bus when the accident occurred.

    The private car driver is being treated in hospital and is under police watch. Police said the bus sank to the bottom of the river and its location has been identified, estimated at 80 meters below the surface.

    In addition to rescue efforts led by the local police, the Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched 11 professional divers and one medical worker capable of deep diving, as well as a salvage boat to assist rescue operations. Further investigations into the cause of the accident are going on.(Xinhua)