CHENGDU - Five people were killed and 27 injured after a bus fell into a ravine in Southwest China's Sichuan province Thursday, authorities said.

Five people were killed and 27 injured after a bus fell into a ravine in Southwest China's Sichuan province Dec 20.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The accident occurred at about 9:30 am when a bus broke through a guardrail and overturned off a 47-meter-deep ravine in the Daxian County of Dazhou City, the provincial administration of work safety said in a statement.

Two of the 32 people aboard the 35-seat bus were killed at the scene, two died en route to hospital and one died at hospital after emergency treatment failed.

The rest 27, all injured, are being treated at three local hospitals.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is under way.