This is the terrifying moment a lorry carrying sand spills its load after tilting at a curve and crashes head-on into an oncoming bus, leaving 16 people injured.

The incident was captured by a street surveillance camera in Huangzhou, Xinhuang County, Hunan, China, on Monday, December 9.

CCTV footage shows the red lorry speeding into a steep curve when the weight of its load causes it to tilt dangerously to the side.

In just seconds, the lorry overturns and skids down the road, spilling sand along the way.

It then smashes directly into a bus carrying around a dozen passengers, with the driver unable to avoid the collision in time.

Officials from Xinhuang County reported that no fatalities were recorded. Among the injured, three were discharged from the hospital the following day.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident.