BEIJING, May 7 (Reuters) - A bus plunged off a highway in the southwestern province of Guizhou early on Monday, killing 17 people, three of them children, Xinhua news agency reported.

Another 24 were injured in the crash in Qianxi county, in the west of the poor, mountainous province.

Last year, road accidents killed nearly 90,000 people in China, making its roads the world's deadliest, as drivers regularly flaunt traffic regulations.

Accidents tend to spike during China's three "Golden Week" holidays, when millions take to the roads and rails. Monday is the last day of the week-long Labour Day holiday.

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