The bus was on a mountainous road between Akqi County and the small city of Atux in the remote Xinjiang region when it turned over, Xinhua reported.

Most of the 24 killed were students 'on a health check-up trip after having passed entrance examinations of high schools in the developed eastern areas,' the agency said.

It said the cause of the deadly incident was under investigation, but made no suggestion it was linked to recent militant attacks in heavily Muslim Xinjiang.

Road accidents killed 81,649 people nationwide last year in a population of 1.3 billion, 7,806 fewer than in 2006. -- REUTERS