At least three people were killed and six others injured after a bus carrying migrant workers back to work overturned in south China's Guangdong Province, highlighting safety woes as millions hit the road after the Spring Festival holiday.

The sleeper bus, with 38 passengers on board, ran off the road at a turn and overturned in Huazhou city of on Wednesday morning, killing three people on the spot, local government sources said.

The bus was heading to the booming city of Shenzhen, about 500 kilometers from Huazhou. Most of the passengers were migrant workers returning to work in Shenzhen.

At least six passengers have been hospitalized, among whom three are severely wounded.

The local Guangzhou Daily quoted Chen Shicheng, a man from the neighboring Guangxi region who suffered bruises to his head and hands, as saying "I had just got on the bus when the accident happened. I was handing money to the bus conductor to buy ticket, when the bus suddenly leaned over to one side. I scrambled out of the bus and then lost consciousness."

Pictures carried on the newspaper website showed the bus was damaged and had turned upside down.

Police have detained the bus driver and launched an investigation into the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2008)