TAIYUAN, Nov. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- A total of 21 people, including 20 students and one teacher, were confirmed dead and another 16 injured in the highway accident that occurred on Monday morning in Qinyuan County, north China's Shanxi Province, said local traffic police on Tuesday morning.

    The Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Education have dispatched officials to the county to probe into the case, the source said.

    At around 6:00 a.m. Monday morning, a heavy truck with a trailer veered to one side on a village highway when it dashed into a group of students and teachers jogging on the road, said Nan Xinyan, an official of the county's traffic police.

    Eighteen people were killed on the spot and three others died later in hospital. Another 16 injured are hospitalized, said Nan, adding that further investigation into the cause of the accident is still going on.

    After the accident, the provincial education authorities have issued orders preventing students jogging or doing exercises on the streets or highways and demanded safety examination in all the schools.   Enditem