Five people were killed and eight others were injured in a collision involving a security van and a truck on Tuesday in south China's Guangdong Province.

The collision happened at about 11 a.m. on a highway in Renhua County of Shaoguan City, local police said on Wednesday.

The five victims were all from the truck, which carried a driver and 11 villagers heading to a market.

The truck driver, six passengers in the truck and a staff member in the security van were injured. They were being treated in hospitals.

One of the seriously injured, identified as Zhang Yongsen of Zhoutian Township, was in critical condition with severe head injuries.

Police held the security van driver, Xiao Weixian, and the assistant driver, Zhang Shaosheng. Neither was injured. The security van has been taken away safely.

An investigation is under way.

(Xinhua News Agency December 3, 2008)