Prosecutors in east China's Fengxian county, Jiangsu province, have approved of the arrest of the school bus driver responsible for a road accident that left 15 students dead and another eight injured.

The People's Procuratorate of Fengxian County approved of the arrest of Hong Xu, the 30-year-old driver of the school bus that was carrying 29 students when it veered into a roadside ditch and overturned, killing 15 students and injuring eight others.

Hong's improper operation caused the accident, according to local prosecutors.

Hong has a B2 driving license, which only allows him to operate a mid-size passengers bus, but Hong was driving a larger bus that should only be operated by those with A1 driving licenses.

The accident occurred at 5:50 p.m. on Dec. 12 in Fengxian county.

The vehicle, a Chinese-manufactured Shaolin Auto bus, was registered as a school bus for a primary school in Shouxian township. It was not overloaded when it overturned, officials said.