Five people were killed and 12 injured in a car crash in southeast China's Zhejiang Province, said local police on Saturday.

The accident occurred at around 5 AM the day before in Lucheng District of Wenzhou City, on a section of the No. 330 National Highway. A car carrying six ran into a minibus with 15 on board, killing five immediately.

All the injured, including one who was badly wounded, were hospitalized, sources said. Investigation into the cause is underway.

At 6 AM on Saturday, eight people were also killed and a dozen more injured in a freeway accident in Jiangxi Province, according to local sources.

The tragedy happened on Nanchang-Zhangshu Freeway as a truck loaded with rolled steel and slag heading for Zhangzhou from Yichun, both in Jiangxi, suddenly changed lane without signaling, causing a sedan and bus to collide into it.

Three of the five people in the sedan, including the driver, and four on the bus were killed on the spot, according to Yu Yaoping, a senior official from the provincial traffic control bureau, who rushed to the site to organize the rescue operation.

One person died later in the local hospital. The remainder, most of whom suffered leg fractures, are still under medical supervision. The cause of the accident is being investigated further.

(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2005)