NANJING - Twelve people were killed and 26 others injured following a string of pile-ups on a misty highway in Jiangsu province on Sunday morning, local authorities said.

Thirty-two vehicles were involved in seven separate accidents in a five-kilometer section of Shenyang-Haikou National Highway in the city of Lianyungang around 6:30 am, according to the publicity department of Lianyungang.

Twelve people have been pronounced dead. The 26 injured, including two severely, have been hospitalized, and none is in life-threatening conditions, officials said.

An initial investigation said the visibility was low due to heavy fog when the accidents happened.