GUANGZHOU - A seven-vehicle pile-up on Wednesday left five people dead and another three injured, authorities in South China's Guangdong province said.

The accident happened at 8:55 am in Ruyuan county in the city of Shaoguan on the expressway from Beijing to Hong Kong and Macao, said a spokesman with the provincial emergency response office.

Three semi-trailers and four trucks were involved in the pile-up.

The injured were rushed to hospital, and it was not yet known whether their injuries were life threatening, said the spokesman.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.