At least seven people were killed and 22 others injured in a traffic accident in Shanghai, east China on Wednesday, local police said.

The accident occurred at about 6:40 p.m. when a 49-seat Benz bus carrying 30 people rushed out of a section of the Hangzhou-Shanghai freeway in Songjiang District.

All the injured have been hospitalized.

Initial investigation showed that the driver's misoperation was to blame.

(Xinhua News Agency July 20, 2006)