GUIYANG - A minibus and a truck crashed Thursday noon, leaving seven dead and two injured in the southwestern province of Guizhou, local authorities said Friday.

Firefighters examine the wreck of a minibus after it collided with a truck on a highway in Guizhou, Feb 9, 2012.  [Photo/Xinhua]

Five of the nine people in the minibus died at the scene and another two in the vehicle died on the way to hospital. The collision happened at 12 am Thursday on the highway between the provincial capital Guiyang and Bijie city, police and firefighters said.

One of the injured is still in a coma with multiple fractures while the other injured is in a stable condition, doctors said.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.