The accident happened due to a burst tire that caused the bus to skid off a bridge and into a stream as it was en route from Yangon to Mandalay.

Other agencies reported that an American was one of the injured persons.

"All I can confirm is there was one American involved in the accident," US embassy spokesman Michael Quinlan told AFP.

Eleven Media reported that action is being taken against the driver of the bus for reckless driving.

Accidents such as this are common in Myanmar—in particular on this stretch of road—due to poor infrastructure, hazardous road conditions, speeding and careless driving.