Eight people died and six were injured when a minibus and a truck collided on a highway in northwest China's Gansu Province, local police said Friday.

The minibus was carrying 15 people when it hit the rear of the truck on a highway in Minle County at about 4:20 p.m. Thursday, said police.

Six people on the minibus died at the scene and two others died on the way to hospital, the police said.

The injured, all passengers on the minibus, were out of danger, but still being treated in hospital.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2006)