KUNMING?- Sixteen people have been killed in two separate road accidents in Southwest China's Yunnan province within 24 hours.

Ten people have been confirmed dead after a minibus overturned on Tuesday night.

The eight-seater van overturned and fell into a ravine around 9 pm in Lianfeng township, Yongshan county in the city of Zhaotong, according to the publicity department of Yongshan county.

The vehicle was completely destroyed and the number of passengers on board has yet to be verified.

Early on Wednesday morning, a seven-seater minibus carrying nine people rear-ended a truck on the Chuxiong-Dali Expressway in Nanhua county of the Yi autonomous prefecture of Chuxiong, according to the information office of the prefecture.

The collision occurred at 4:15 am. Six people on the coach died and three others were injured.