Two students were killed and 11 others injured in a traffic accident in Hezhang county in China's Guizhou province on Monday morning, Xinhua News Agency has reported.

All of the injured students have been taken to hospital for treatment, with two of the most seriously injured in a stable condition.

The cause of the accident, which happened around 7 am, is under investigation.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched a task force to the scene, together with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Security, to direct the response.

The Work Safety Committee of China's State Council has placed the investigation and handling of the accident under special supervision, and has ordered Guizhou's government to elevate the level of its investigation.