Traffic accidents kill 5, injure 8 in SW China

GUIYANG - Five people died and another eight were injured in two traffic accidents that occurred Friday morning in Southwest China's Guizhou province, local firefighters said.

Both accidents took place on the Tongzi county section of the Lanzhou-Hainan expressway linking Lanzhou, capital of Northwest China's Gansu province, with Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan province.

The first accident occurred at 12:40 am, when an oil tanker rear-ended a pickup, injuring three of the pickup's passengers. One of three injured later perished.

The second accident took place at 1:25 am, when a bus loaded with 28 people rear-ended a truck trailer, killing four and injuring six.

All of the injured have been hospitalized and traffic on the expressway has resumed.

The causes of both accidents are being investigated.