(ECNS) -- Nine people were killed and seven injured in two crashes on a major expressway in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Saturday night, local authorities said.

The two crashes occurred about one kilometer apart near marker K3906 on the G30 Lianhuo Expressway (Lianyungang–Khorgos Expressway), some 70 kilometers from the urban area of Usu City in Tacheng Prefecture. A total of 12 vehicles were involved, including five trucks and seven cars.

Emergency response teams from public security, emergency management, transportation, and health departments were dispatched to the scene to carry out rescue operations and provide medical aid.

Initial reports indicated that the crashes occurred amid a sudden onset of dense fog, with sub-zero nighttime temperatures causing the road surface to become icy and slippery.

An investigation into the cause of the accidents has been launched, and follow-up procedures are underway.