/asia
(CNN) -- A bus crash Tuesday in northwest China killed 25 passengers, most of them students, state-run media reported.
The accident in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region happened Tuesday afternoon along a mountainous highway from Akqi County to Atux City, the Xinhua news agency reported. The students, mainly of Kirgiz and Han ethnic groups, were on a trip to get health checkups to enter high school in more developed areas, Xinhua reported.
Authorities were investigating the cause of the crash, and there was no immediate indication of foul play in Xinjiang, still reeling from deadly terror attacks over the past two weeks.
An attack on a security checkpoint in Xinjiang last week killed three members of the security forces and wounded a fourth. That incident followed another attack that left 16 policemen dead and 16 others injured.
Authorities have tightened security in the Xinjiang region since the incidents, adding checkpoints on roadways and around government buildings, schools and hospitals.
The Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region -- also called East Turkistan -- is home to a Sunni Muslim ethnic minority. Uighurs in Xinjiang are supposed to enjoy regional autonomy, as guaranteed by China's constitution, but some want independence.
All About China
| Most Viewed | Most Emailed |
From the Blogs: 
Sit tight, we're getting to the good stuff
