JINAN - Seven people have died and many more were injured after a coach fell from a highway bridge in east China's Shandong Province Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The accident happened at around 10 a.m. on the Shenyang-Haikou Expressway near the city of Rizhao. The coach slid on the slippery road surface following a downpour, then rolled onto its side and went over the edge of the bridge, according to local traffic police.

Police, firefighters and medical personnel have arrived at the site. According to initial reports, more than 30 passengers were onboard at the time of the accident. Further investigation is underway.