16 killed, 66 injured in vehicle pileup in C. China

Within 10 minutes, five vehicle collision accidents have occurred on an expressway in Hunan province on Saturday. The accidents have left 16 dead and another 66 injured, according to local traffic police.

The accidents happened at around 5 pm in Wangcheng district in Hunan capital Changsha, it said. The most deadly rear-end collisions involved seven vehicles and claimed seven lives.

Another three accidents, which saw 11, 10 and 9 vehicles collide, each killed three people, it said. Twelve vehicles knocked into each other in the other accident, but thankfully no fatalities occurred.

All of the 66 injured people have been hospitalized. Eight of them are seriously injured but remain in stable conditions, the traffic police said.

A team from the Ministry of Emergency Management has rushed to Changsha to guide the local governments in dealing with the aftermath. The team, led by Li Wanchun, the ministry's chief engineer, consists of mainly medical experts.

Previous report: Rescue under way after deadly road accidents

A team from the Ministry of Emergency Management has rushed to Changsha, capital of Hunan province, to guide rescue operations after a deadly traffic accident, according to a media release from the ministry on Sunday.

The rear-end collisions happened on the Xuchang-Guangzhou expressway in Changsha's Wangcheng district at around 5 pm on Saturday. It involved multiple vehicles and has resulted in heavy casualties, the ministry said without disclosing specific numbers.

Led by Li Wanchun, the ministry's chief engineer, the team also consists of medical experts to guide treatment work for the injured.

Wang Xiangxi, minister of emergency management, demanded all-out efforts to treat the injured and reduce casualties. He also asked to carry out a thorough investigation to identify the cause and screen for hazards to prevent similar accidents.

The ministry said 182 firefighters have been dispatched to the site for the rescue operation.

Local media reported that the accident involved more than 10 vehicles.