Five people were killed and 19 others injured in a traffic pileup in southwest China's Yunnan Province Sunday, a local government spokesperson said.

A truck loaded with concrete hit the rear of a 31-seat tourist bus at 1:30 p.m. in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, the spokesperson said.

The shuttle bus turned over and was involved in a further collision with a passing mini-truck.

Five women were killed and four of the 19 injured are in critical condition.

Tourists on board the bus were from Beijing and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, according to initial investigation.

The site of the accident was near a forest park in Xishuangbanna, a popular tourist destination famous for its unique tropical forests.

Police are investigating the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2009)