BEIJING >> Ten people, including four children, were killed in an accident involving a minibus in southern China on Wednesday, also the first day for the peak travel season centered on the Chinese New Year, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Xinhua said another three people were seriously hurt in the accident in the southern Chinese city of Meizhou.

With 13 people on board, the minibus was believed to have been overloaded, but Xinhua gave no further details.

Poor road conditions, bad driving habits, and overloading — a problem exacerbated during holidays — are major causes for road accidents in China.

China’s transportation system is expected to accommodate 2.8 billion trips this year during the 40-day New Year travel period, when people travel for family unions.

The Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 19 this year.