At least 50 people have been injured in a bus collision Wednesday afternoon in China's southwestern city of Chongqing, according to the local police.

The traffic accident took place at 3:36 PM when a bus with more than 20 passengers suddenly jumped over the 30-cm-high partition belt in the No.1 Changjiang Road and bumped into another bus carrying at least 30 passengers traveling in the opposite direction across the partition belt.

At least 50 people were injured in the accident and were rushed to the Chongqing Emergency Treatment Center, police said.

At present, 29 people are still in hospital for treatment, eight of them are seriously injured. One with brain trauma is in critical condition, sources with the center said.

The road accident also caused a two-hour traffic jam in downtown Chongqing, affecting thousands of cars.

Investigation in the cause of the accident is underway.

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2006)