17 killed, 22 injured in road crash in eastern China: report

BEIJING – Seventeen people were killed and 22 injured in a road traffic accident in eastern China’s Jiangxi province on Sunday, state media reported.

“Seventeen people were killed and 22 injured in the accident[and]the injured were taken to hospital,” state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing local authorities.

A “massive road traffic accident” was reported to have occurred before 1am local time in Nanchang County.

“The cause of the accident is under detailed investigation,” CCTV added.

Local news outlet Jim, which is affiliated with the state-owned Hubei Daily Media Group, reported that the incident occurred when a truck crashed into a funeral procession.

People were making offerings to the dead by the roadside before heading to the crematorium on Sunday morning, a local woman surnamed Den told the outlet.

They were reportedly hit by a truck and most of the casualties were funeral attendees.

Another local man told the outlet his wife died in the incident and was attending the funeral.

The truck suddenly slammed into the back of the line, tearing the group apart and finally arriving in a hearse, he said.

About an hour after news of the crash broke, Nanchang county traffic police advised drivers to travel, saying the area was experiencing “foggy weather.”

“The visibility while driving is poor, the visibility is poor, and it is easy to cause traffic accidents,” he said.

“Watch out for fog lights… slow down, drive cautiously, maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle in front, avoid pedestrians and do not change lanes to overtake,” it added.

Traffic accidents occur frequently in China due to the lack of thorough safety management.

Hundreds of vehicles were entangled on a highway in central China last month, and one person died due to poor visibility due to fog.

And in September, a bus en route to a quarantine facility in southwestern Guizhou overturned on a highway, killing 27 passengers. AFPMore