(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-14 11:26

One more body was pulled out of river, bringing the death toll of the traffic accident in Southwest China's Sichuan Province to nine, local sources said on Friday.

The accident occurred around 1:30 am Thursday morning in Gonggashan Township of Kangding County, capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, when a van carrying 31 people plunged into a river.

The passengers were all migrant workers of Hede tungsten and stannum mine.

Six other people were injured, including one in serious condition, but they were described as "without life threat".

Police have detained Liao Yongzhi, the driver, who was suspected of carrying people illegally with a cargo van.

More than 300 people are still searching the area of the accident for 12 missing people.

The mountainous Sichuan Province saw a yearly average of 150 traffic accidents with death toll of each above three.