Freight truck crashes kill 19 in China

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese state media say two accidents involving freight trucks have killed 19 people.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Friday that a brake failure caused a semi-trailer loaded with cement crashing into a car, a bus and a truck on an expressway in southern Fujian province, killing 11 and injuring 35 others.

It says the second accident happened Friday in northern Hebei province, where a truck loaded with stones crashed into a village temple fair in Fuping county.

Xinhua says as the truck rolled over, the stones fell off and hit villagers, killing six immediately. It says two more people died in hospital from their injuries. The cause is unknown.

Road accidents involving heavy trucks are common in China, where overloading is routine and where drivers often ignore safety measures.