NANNING - Three people died and 24 others were injured in a bus-truck crash in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Wednesday night, local fire brigade said.

The accident occurred on a highway in Qinzhou city when a bus crashed into the rear of a truck and three people, including the bus driver and two passengers, died at the scene.

Four people are critically injured, with 20 suffering more minor injuries. All of them are treated at local hospitals.

The bus departed the China-Vietnam border county of Dongxing and was heading to the regional capital Nanning, about two hours away. It carried 27 people.

An investigation is underway.