IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Hunan

8 dead, 11 injured in highway crashes

Eight people were killed and 11 others were injured in four separate road accidents in Hunan province on Saturday evening, local authorities said. Traffic police said the crashes, involved a total of 23 vehicles, all happened around 7:10 pm on the Erenhot-Guangzhou Expressway in the city of Yiyang. Of the injured, one was in serious but not life-threatening condition, six had bone fractures, and four had minor injuries, police said. An initial investigation found that the crashes were related to slippery roads caused by light rain and low temperatures, as well as by improper driving.