Preliminary investigation shows tragedy was caused by speeding

Speeding and an unqualified driver are suspected to have led to a traffic accident that killed 14 people and injured 11 others in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province, on Saturday, according to a work safety official.

The accident occurred at around 5:20 pm in Dalian bonded area when a minibus went off the road and rolled into a ditch.

The province has set up a team to investigate the cause of the accident.A spokesman for the State Administration of Work Safety told China Daily that according to the preliminary investigation the accident was caused by speeding.

The driver of the minibus was driving at 81 kilometers per hour while the speed limit is 70.

In addition, the driver was qualified for vehicles with fewer than 19 seats, according to his license, but the minibus had 27 seats.

Most of the passengers were women and elderly people who were hired to plant trees in Dalian bonded area.

Firefighters investigate after an explosion in a residential building in Mudanjiang city, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, on Saturday. [Photo by Xiao Jinbiao / for China Daily]