17 dead in China crash as holiday travel rush gets underway

BEIJING (AP) — Authorities in southern China say 17 people have died and 22 were injured in a traffic accident at the start of the Lunar New Year holiday travel rush. The accident occurred outside the city of Nanchang in Jiangxi province. The cause is under investigation. Such accidents, often caused by fatigued drivers or poorly maintained vehicles, used to be common but tighter regulations have reduced their frequency in recent years. Such enforcement efforts are redoubled around the time of the holiday, China’s most important for family gatherings when tens of millions of migrant workers return to their hometowns. With the end of most COVID-19 restrictions, the number of such trips is expected to double this year.