Six people, including a five-year-old girl, were confirmed dead after rescuers recovered a bus that fell into a river in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Sunday, local officials said early Monday morning.

The 29-seat bus, with about 15 people on board, was about to drive on a ferry when it plunged into the Hulan river in Qing'an county at 3:00 p.m.. The mishap bus was recovered late Sunday night.

Local authorities said the bus driver and two passengers have been saved and they are searching for the others who remain missing.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.