The death toll from a severe crash inside a tunnel in Hebei province on Tuesday has risen to 13, officials involved in the investigation of the incident said on Wednesday.

Three others were severely injured and two remained missing, the officials said.

The crash, which occurred at around 6:20 am on Tuesday, destroyed nine vehicles inside the tunnel in Laiyuan county of Baoding - a section of highway connecting the province's Zhangjiakou and Shijiazhuang cities.