13 die in China as overloaded motorcycle crashes

BEIJING — Chinese state media say 13 people were killed and seven hurt when an overloaded three-wheel motorcycle crashed off a bridge in southeast China.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported that the vehicle was traveling along a rural road in Fujian province when it fell off a stone bridge Tuesday morning.

A man who works for the Shouning county news office, who would give only his family name Zhong, says the vehicle was overloaded with passengers. That’s a common occurrence in rural areas where villagers have no other way to travel.

No other details were known on the crash. Serious road accidents are common in China where vehicles are not properly maintained and laws are often ignored.