WUHAN - A bus crashed into a ravine in a mountainous county in central China's Hubei Province Saturday afternoon, leaving 16 people dead and two others missing, local authorities said.

The sleeper coach, with 34 people on board, plunged into the river dozens of meters below the highway in the city of Yichang.

The accident was reported at around 4 p.m., said a spokesperson with the fire brigade in Xingshan County of Yichang.

Rescue efforts are underway but have been hampered by rain, according to the rescue crew.