A bus crash has killed 27 people and injured a further 20 when the vehicle rolled over on a highway in southwest China’s mountainous Guizhou province.

The accident took place in the early hours of Sunday morning in Sandu county, around 170 km (105 miles) southeast of the provincial capital, Guiyang, local police said in a statement on Sunday.

The bus was carrying 47 people and the 20 injured were being treated.

No further information was immediately released.

By Martin Quin Pollard in Beijing

Get the latest news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.