TAIYUAN - Five middle school students were killed and another seven were injured following a traffic accident in North China's Shanxi province, local authorities said Monday.

The accident occurred at approximately 6:50 am in the city of Jinzhong. A minibus carrying 11 students to school collided with a heavy-duty truck, killing five of the students instantly, according to a spokesman from the city government.

The seven injured, including the minibus driver, were rushed to a local hospital to receive treatment, the spokesman said.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.