A freight train collided with a bus at a crossing in northeastern China, killing at least 10 people and injuring 11 others.

The Monday morning accident came at the start of an annual travel rush ahead of next month's Lunar New Year holiday, when millions of Chinese take to the road, air and rails to return home for family visits.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the collision accident took place at a crossing near the city of Heihe in Heilongjiang province. The crossing has no gates and a guard assigned to warn vehicles of coming trains was not at his post, the report said.

A team from the railway safety administration was dispatched to investigate the accident from the provincial capital of Harbin.