At least 13 people were killed in central China's Henan province early on Thursday after an overcrowded minibus crashed into the back ​of a large ​truck.

The collision took place at ​2.40am local time on a section of the ‌G40 ⁠highway running from Shanghai to Xian in Shaanxi province, China's ministry of public security said in a statement.

The minibus was approved to carry nine passengers but had 16 people on board at the time of the crash, the statement said. The passenger bus ⁠rear-ended ​a semi-trailer ​truck travelling ahead of it.

Following the incident, the ministry said it dispatched a working team to Nanyang to guide the investigation. The ministry said it "attached great importance" to the incident, "immediately dispatching a working group to Nanyang led by a traffic management bureau official to direct investigation and handling work".

Deadly crashes are common in China, mostly due to poor safety standards and reckless driving.

In November last year, China witnessed its deadliest rail accident in more than a decade when a train ran into a group of railway workers, killing 11.

At least one person died and four others sustained injuries when a driver allegedly drove into a crowd in Chongqing in June that year.