BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A bus veered into the opposite lane in China on Saturday morning, hitting a truck and killing 36 people, according to an official police notice.

The bus, which was driving north, broke through a barrier dividing two lanes on a motorway and crashed into a truck carrying 3 people moving in the opposite direction, said police from the city of Yixing in Jiangsu province.

An initial investigation reported that the accident was caused by a flat tire, according to the Xinhua news agency in a Sunday story.

The statement added that 36 people were also injured, 9 seriously. Authorities sent emergency responders to the site immediately.