A truck and bus collided, leaving eight dead and 32 injured in east China's Shandong Province early Monday, said the local authorities.

A bus with a driver and 40 passengers collided with a truck loaded with iron ore traveling in front of the bus at 0:20 a.m. Monday on a highway in Sishui County of Jining City in Shandong, an official with the municipal government said.

The bus slid for 20 meters after the crash, leaving eight dead at the scene. The bus driver and another 31 passengers were injured. All the casualties were from the bus and none of the injured came from the truck, the official said.

The bus was a two-deck long-distance bus and all passengers were sleeping when the accident occurred.

All the injured had been sent to nine hospitals by 11 ambulances. Twelve left hospital after treatment and the other 20 are still in hospital.

As of 6:30 a.m., the site was clean up and traffic had resumed.

Further investigation is underway.

(Xinhua News Agenc June 29, 2009)