8 dead as vehicle veers off mountain road

GUIYANG - Eight people were confirmed dead and two others injured after a minivan careened off a mountainous highway in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Tuesday, local officials said as rescue efforts concluded on Friday.

Officials with the Hezhang county government said the minivan with ten people aboard plunged off a mountainous section of a provincial highway after the road caved in on Tuesday morning.

The last body was retrieved on Friday as rescuers said frequent falling rocks stymied their efforts.

An initial investigation showed the collapse was caused by rock movement beneath the highway, officials said.