The accident happened Friday afternoon near Shaowu city in Fujian province when the driver of the minibus carrying 21 people apparently swerved to avoid a motorbike, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing local authorities.

The bus rolled over and fell into the Qianling hydropower station reservoir, Xinhua said.

Nine people were rescued, while about 200 police and rescuers were searching for two people still missing.

China's roads are among the most dangerous in the world, with traffic laws widely flouted.

Almost 70,000 people died in road accidents in 2009, or around 190 fatalities a day, according to police statistics.