Twenty-two people -- mostly teenagers -- are missing after a bus full of middle school students plunged 100 meters into a river Wednesday in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Two bodies have been recovered from the Niulan River in Qiaojia County, Zhaotong City, but they've not yet been identified, rescuers said Thursday.

The bus was carrying 31 students and four adults, including the driver, when it veered off the road as it was negotiating a bend at 1:27 PM Wednesday. Twenty-two students, a parent and a teacher are missing. .

Nine students, a parent and the driver were injured, four of them seriously. They were all being treated in hospital and were expected to recover, said a Zhaotong city government spokesman on Thursday. More than 200 officials and hundreds of locals have been searching for the missing, added the spokesman.

The bus is owned by the Chongqing Technology and Business School, in southwestern Chongqing Municipality. The students were considering studying at the school and were on their way to an introductory visit. They were due to travel from Zhaotong to Chongqing by train.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2006)