Another five were injured to varying degrees after being crushed as they tried to climb out of the blazing vehicle.

The bus, taking 19 passengers from Tianjin to Chaoyang of Liaoning Province, caught fire around 3 am at the entrance of Madaoling tunnel in Jianchang County of Huludao City.

The five injured have been hospitalized, and the 12 bodies recovered, although most have not yet been identified, according to Li Dawei, vice-director of Liaoning Provincial Communications Department.

Zhang Jian, one of the survivors, said the fire started in the engine at the front of the bus, and rapidly spread throughout the bus when the driver lifted the engine cap to see what was wrong.

Some passengers were killed in their sleep, while others woke up and rushed to the door, but found their way blocked by a pile of goods. A few passengers managed to smash the windows to jump out of the bus.

Li said the overload of passengers and goods attributed greatly to the tragedy.

According to the police, the bus belongs to a passenger transportation company in Tianjin, and was contracted by Jin Peiwu from Chaoyang City.

Most of the 19 passengers on the bus were private business dealers from Chaoyang and nearby regions.

On the destroyed bus, there were bundles of printed items, copper wires and VCDs.

"We should draw lessons from the accident and strengthen our administration of various vehicles,'' said Li. "Those overloaded with passengers and goods should be severely punished."

(China Daily November 16,2001)