The accident happened at around 6:20 am when an oil tanker rear-ended a coal truck in a tunnel on the highway linking cities of Zhangjiakou and Shijiazhuang, according to the government of Laiyuan County.

Altogether nine vehicles were damaged.

The collision caused an explosion and fire, killing 12 and injuring another three people on the site. Another 12 people were injured when the explosion damaged their nearby homes.

The injured are being treated in hospital.

Further investigation and cleaning-up work at the scene of the collision are ongoing.