At least 54 were killed and 41 were injured in a road accident Monday in Qinghai Province, said sources from the provincial government.

The accident occurred at about noon when a truck turned over near the Kuola Mountain, about 10 km from Longbao township, Yushu Tibet Autonomous Prefecture.

Fifty people died on the spot and four died on the way to hospital. Twenty-nine passengers were severely injured.

The truck had been carrying 104 passengers who were returning from pilgrimage to Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. Most were from Ganzi and Aba prefectures in Sichuan Province.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2005)