At least 23 people were killed and four others were missing in a traffic accident in southwest China's Yunnan Province Tuesday afternoon, local officials confirmed.

A farm vehicle with 36 people on board fell off a hilly road into a valley along the Lancang River in Deqin County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, leaving 20 dead on the scene. Three others died on the way to hospital. Nine people were injured, seven of them seriously.

The passengers were on their way to a bullfight. Though prohibited by law, farming vehicles are often used as a transportation tool in underdeveloped rural areas in China.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency October 12, 2004)