Death toll in accidents involving 23 vehicles rises to eight

The death toll from a series of road accidents that happened in Central China's Hunan province on Saturday has risen to 8, police said on Sunday evening.

The accidents involving 23 vehicles happened around 7:10 pm on the Erenhot-Guangzhou Highway in the city of Yiyang due to slippery road condition caused by rain and low visibility, traffic police in Hunan said.

Seven people were killed in one of the four accidents. All of the 11 people who were injured in the accidents are out of danger, the police added.

The highway in Yiyang was reopened around 10 am on Sunday after the rescue and investigation works were completed and the road was cleared off. Local police warned drivers to slow down and take precautions after entering the highway as rain and snow is expected to continue to hit the area.