9 Vietnamese killed as car falls off cliff in China

Chinese authorities on Friday said 11 people died in a car accident, when the vehicle fell off a cliff and into a lake at a mountainous area of Siming Village, about 5-6 km from the Vietnam-China border. The car was a seven-seat one, but carried twice the number of people allowed.

Nine of the deceased carried Vietnamese personal papers.

Three people who survived the car crash are two other Vietnamese and the Chinese driver. The incident had been reported to the General Consulate of Vietnam in Nanning.

Chinese authorities are performing an investigation, suspecting that the incident had to do with human trafficking.

Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said Vietnamese diplomatic entities in Nanning are working with local authorities to verify information and perform necessary measures. It also requested China to protect the legal rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens involved in the incident.

The ministry is cooperating with Vietnamese authorities to verify the identities of victims and support their families.