How Did an Overloaded School Bus Crash in Hezhang Kill 2 Students and Injure 14?

Quick answer: At about 06:41 on 23 March 2026, a small bus carrying 16 students collided with a heavy dump truck that had stopped on the road ahead in Hezhang County, Guizhou, China. Two students died and 14 people were injured. The investigation report, published on 16 October 2026, found that the bus was licensed for 7 people but was carrying 17, that it was in illegal operation, and that it was severely overloaded and speeding.

Key facts

• What: Road crash involving a small bus carrying students and a stopped heavy dump truck
• Where: Mulan Avenue, an industrial park road in Hengdi Village, Hezhen Township, Hezhang County, Bijie City, Guizhou, China
• When: About 06:41 on 23 March 2026
• Toll: 2 students died, 14 people injured
• Vehicles: Small ordinary bus Gui FYU387; heavy dump truck Gui BB0251
• Investigation: Report published on the Guizhou Provincial Emergency Management Department website on 16 October 2026

What happened

The bus was travelling along the industrial park road on Mulan Avenue in Hengdi Village, Hezhen Township, when the front-right of the vehicle struck a heavy dump truck ahead of it. The truck, registration Gui BB0251, had stopped on the right-hand side of the carriageway because of a fault.

The bus, registration Gui FYU387, was carrying 16 students. With the driver on board, 17 people were in a vehicle licensed to carry 7. Two students died in the crash and 14 people were injured.

What the investigation found

The Guizhou Provincial Emergency Management Department published its investigation report into the Bijie Hezhang "3·23" crash on 16 October 2026. The report was then covered on 17 October 2026 by Sohu and the Nanjing Morning Post.

The investigation concluded that the crash was a production safety liability accident. It found that the driver had been driving the vehicle in illegal operation, that the bus was severely overloaded, and that it was speeding. It also found that the driver had collided with the heavy dump truck that had stopped on the road ahead because of a fault.

The direct economic loss was put at about 3.6855 million yuan. The driver had criminal coercive measures taken against him, and the case was to be pursued through criminal proceedings.

Why the overloading matters

A vehicle licensed for 7 people was carrying 17. That is 10 more occupants than the licensed capacity, and more than double the number the bus was approved to carry. Overloading of that scale leaves fewer seats and restraints than there are passengers, makes a vehicle harder to control and stop, and increases the number of people exposed to harm in any collision.

The findings also underline why vehicles used to carry children need licensed, authorised services with the correct capacity, and why a vehicle that has broken down and stopped in a live carriageway creates a serious hazard for traffic behind it.

Frequently asked questions

How many people died in the Hezhang crash?

Two students died, and 14 people were injured.

When and where did the crash happen?

At about 06:41 on 23 March 2026, on Mulan Avenue, an industrial park road in Hengdi Village, Hezhen Township, Hezhang County, Bijie City, Guizhou, China.

What did the investigation find?

The investigation found illegal operation, severe overloading and speeding, and a collision with a heavy dump truck that had stopped on the road ahead because of a fault. It classified the crash as a production safety liability accident.

What happened to the driver?

Criminal coercive measures were taken against the driver, and the case was to be pursued through criminal proceedings.