Five primary school children are among the eight who died Friday in a three-vehicle highway crash in northwest China's Gansu Province.

The accident happened around 10:30 a.m. when the driver of a tractor-trailer lost control of his vehicle and collided with two minibuses that had stopped in a traffic lane on Highway G30 in Taoshuping Township, Lanzhou City, the provincial capital, a spokesman with the provincial public security department said.

Five of the about 10 students from Wencheng Primary School, Yuzhong County, on one of the minibuses died at the scene. The driver and two passengers from the other minibus were also killed.

Three were injured and were taken to Lantai Hospital in Lanzhou. Their injuries are not life-threatening.?? The police are investigating the cause of the accident.

A policeman examines the crash site on a highway in northwest China's Gansu Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Policemen examine the crash site on a highway in northwest China's Gansu Province. [Photo/Xinhua]