A bus plunged off a bridge into a river in China after a passenger attacked the driver when she missed her stop, according to police.

CCTV footage shows a woman lashing out at the driver before the vehicle swerves across the road and through safety barriers.

The vehicle plummeted 50m into the Yangtze River in Chongqing with 15 people on board on Sunday morning.

Divers have so far recovered 13 bodies following a huge rescue operation using a floating crane to recover the wreckage. Two people remain missing.

Officials initially thought the bus swerved to try and avoid another vehicle.

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Local police have now said that cause of the crash was the fight between the driver, named Ran, and the passenger, a 48-year-old woman with the surname Liu.

Police said in a statement that the pair began arguing when the driver refused to let her off the bus after she missed her stop.

The footage shows the pair gesturing at each other before the woman hits the driver in the face with her mobile phone.

The rescue operation under the bridge on the Yangtze river (EPA/STR CHINA OUT)

He hit her back and the pair trade further blows before the driver appears to turn the wheel to the left across the opposite lane.

Passengers can be heard screaming as the bus smashes through the barriers.

The eight-second footage released by the police cuts out before it plunges into the river.

Rescuers watch as the bus is lifted out of the river by a floating crane (Chinatopix via AP)

Rescue ships used sonar technology to locate the bus on the bottom of the river and the vehicle was lifted out of the water on Wednesday night.