A pileup involving a dozen vehicles occurred on the highway between Xi'an and Baoji in northwest China's Shaanxi province Friday morning, local police said.

According to the police, the accident happened on the section between Xingping and Wugong at around 8:00 a.m. and was triggered by the foggy weather. Local traffic police rushed to the scene and cleared the traffic flow soon after. Casualties were immediately sent to nearby hospitals.

The direct cause of the accident and the exact number of casualties are still under investigation, local police said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2005)