Three people stood trial on Thursday over suspected abuse of power that may partly have led to a fatal bus accident in northwestern China's Shaanxi province that claimed 35 lives in May.

The three defendants, all staff at the transportation management station of Lintong district in Xi'an, found that the bus lacked a transport business license more than 20 days before the accident happened, the prosecutor said.

However, they didn't stop it from operating, nor did they seize the vehicle after a colleague intervened on behalf of the driver. They only fined the driver 3,000 yuan ($470).

The three defendants broke the regulation and abused their power, which made it possible for the bus to continue providing illegal transportation services, the prosecutor said.

In May, the bus carrying 46 people fell into a ravine some 30 meters deep near a forest in Chunhua county. Twenty-five people died at the scene instantly and 10 died in the hospital. The passengers were residents of nearby cities, mostly senior citizens.

The case was heard at the Beilin District People's Court in Xi'an. The court will issue a verdict at a later date.

(China Daily 11/27/2015 page5)