Serious road accidents killed 51 people in China Monday, and injured 61, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The ministry's Administration of Communications said a farm vehicle carrying 15 people fell into a reservoir Monday morning in Gutian County, east China's Fujian Province, killing eight people and injuring three.

A tractor carrying 80 people collided with a motorcycle around noon Monday in Qiubei County, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The tractor, driven by a farmer without a driving license, fell off the road, killing 27 people and injuring 53.

A car tipped over Monday afternoon in Gejiu City, Yunnan, killing four people and injuring one.

A minibus drove into a roadside ditch Monday afternoon in Dangshan County, east China's Anhui Province, killing four people and injuring one.

While dodging a farm vehicle on the road, a truck tipped over at roadside Monday afternoon in Gaozhou City, south China's Guangdong Province, killing three people.

The administration has issued an emergency circular, urging better administration of traffic safety to reduce the number of accidents during the post-Spring Festival period, when people return home from the seven-day Spring Festival holiday (Jan. 22 to28).

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2004)