Five people were killed and another four injured in a highway accident in northwest Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, local authorities said Wednesday.

The accident occurred around 1 a.m. when a mini bus rear-ended a heavy truck on a highway linking the cities of Turpan and Korla. The five people on the mini bus died at the scene, an official with prefectural Party Committee said.

The four injured, including one in serious condition, remain hospitalized, said the official.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.