BEIJING, June 4 ― A passenger train accident in southwestern China on Saturday killed the driver and injured eight people, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

As the Guangzhou-bound train was about to enter a tunnel in Guizhou province, it ploughed into debris deposited on the tracks by a mudslide, derailing two carriages and killing the driver, CCTV reported.

Of the eight injured, seven were passengers and one was a member of the train staff. All other 136 passengers were safe.

The derailed train is a D-class train service that moves at a slower speed than the country's fastest G-class high-speed trains.

The accident on Saturday morning happened during a long-weekend which typically sees heavier passenger flows as people take advantage of the public holiday to travel inter-city.

China's rail network, with an operating route length of about 150,000 km, is the second largest in the world. ― Reuters