China's Ministry of Education on Wednesday called for an urgent nationwide inspection of all school buses in operation after a deadly road accident claimed 20 lives in the northwest province of Gansu.

One of the surivors of a bus crash in Gansu on Wednesday is being treated at a hospital. The crash killed 20 people and injured 44 children.[Photo/CFP]

The emergency notice, posted on the ministry's official website a few hours after the accident, requested education authorities at all level, schools and kindergartens to scrutinize the safety of school buses and stop risky vehicles from being operated.

The inspection should also cover those shuttle buses rented by parents, according to the notice, adding that local education authorities should "actively seek support from the government" to provide safe transportation for those students whose schools or kindergartens are unable to afford a school bus.

The notice demands that students should be educated not to take illegally operating buses and their parents should be warned not to rent vehicles with safety risks.

The accident happened at around 9:40 a.m. Wednesday in Yulinzi township of Zhengning county, when a severely overloaded school bus collided with a truck.

The latest report from local authorities has confirmed 20 dead, including 17 preschoolers and two adults.