JOHANNESBURG, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Ten people were killed and several others injured in a collision between two vehicles in South Africa's central province of Free State on Wednesday morning.

According to a statement issued by the Free State Police, the accident occurred on the N6 road between Reddersburg and Smithfield in the province at about 4:20 a.m. local time when a bus carrying 35 passengers and a truck collided.

"Ten people -- a two-year-old girl, six women, and three men -- died at the scene. The drivers of both the truck and the bus survived the crash," police said. "Five passengers with serious injuries were transported to hospitals in Bloemfontein, while 22 injured passengers received treatment at a hospital in Smithfield."

"Preliminary reports indicate that the bus was traveling from the direction of Reddersburg toward Smithfield, while the truck was heading in the opposite direction. The collision was a sideswipe head-on impact," police said.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, and a case of culpable homicide has been opened, the statement added.

Police urged motorists to exercise caution while traveling in the area as emergency personnel work on the scene. Enditem

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