A van-truck crash in Huanggang, central China's Hubei Province, has killed eight and injured four on Sunday, according to the Huanggang government.

The accident happened at 6:57 AM Sunday on Jiangbei highway when a Jinbei van with 12 passengers on board hit the rear of a heavy-weight truck, which was slowing down and pulling towards a toll station on the highway, said Mei Lihua, deputy secretary of the Huanggang city government.

Mei said the city has been blanketed by heavy fog and visibility was reduced to less than ten meters when the accident happened.

Seven passengers on the van, including the driver, were killed on the scene and another died on the way to hospital. The four injured passengers are being treated at the First Hospital in Huanggang, Mei said.

All victims are migrant workers from Xishuibahe Town in the province, who had set to board the train from Hankou to Guangdong, Mei added.

The local government has organized special teams to provide treatment to the injured, condole with the victims' families and carry out further investigations into the cause of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)