2011 Xinyang bus fire
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Xinyang bus fire (Simplified Chinese: 7·22河南信阳客车起火事故 or 京珠高速客车起火事故) occurred at 0400 Beijing time (1000 GMT) on 22 July in Xinyang
, Henan
, China
and caused the deaths of at least 41 people. The fire happened on China National Highway 105
, which links Beijing
in the northeast to Zhuhai
in the southeast. There were 47 passengers on board, but the bus was designed to hold only 35 passengers. As the bus was overloaded, some passengers were sleeping in the aisle at the time of the fire, which began at 4 a.m. The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but Voice of America
reported that the bus was carrying hazardous goods. Some of the survivors reported hearing an explosion at the back of the vehicle when the fire started. Six people, including the driver, survived and were hospitalized.
Xinyang
Xinyang is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Henan province, People's Republic of China, the southernmost such administrative division in the province.-Recent history:...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and caused the deaths of at least 41 people. The fire happened on China National Highway 105
China National Highway 105
China National Highway 105 runs from Beijing to Zhuhai, via Langfang, Chuangzhou, Dezhou, Donge, Jining, Shuangyou, Fuyang, Liuan, Jiujiang, Nanchang, Ji'an and Guangzhou...
, which links Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in the northeast to Zhuhai
Zhuhai
Zhuhai is a prefecture-level city on the southern coast of Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in the Pearl River Delta, Zhuhai borders Jiangmen to the northwest, Zhongshan to the north, and Macau to the south. Zhuhai was one of the original Special Economic Zones...
in the southeast. There were 47 passengers on board, but the bus was designed to hold only 35 passengers. As the bus was overloaded, some passengers were sleeping in the aisle at the time of the fire, which began at 4 a.m. The cause of the fire is still being investigated, but Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
reported that the bus was carrying hazardous goods. Some of the survivors reported hearing an explosion at the back of the vehicle when the fire started. Six people, including the driver, survived and were hospitalized.