Guangzhou, January 29:

At least 25 people were killed and 13 injured when a bus plunged off an icy road in southern China early today, as bad weather severely disrupted the nation’s busiest holiday travel season.

About 500,000 people — most migrant workers — were stuck in the southern city of Guangzhou, railway officials said. Heavy snowfall in provinces to the north had cut off parts of the busy railway line that starts in the city and ends in Beijing.

The latest accident brought the known death toll in the last two weeks to nearly 50. Xinhua News Agency said the bus plunged 40 metres off a road into a valley off in mountainous Guizhou province at 2340 GMT.

The 35-seat passenger bus was carrying 38 people when it went crashed, killing 25 people, Xinhua said. Two passengers suffered serious injuries.