Seventeen people were killed in a road accident in central China's Hubei Province early Friday morning, local authorities said.

The accident occurred at a road section near Miaoling Township, Ezhou City between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. when a bus carrying about 20 people plunged into a roadside lake.

According to the publicity department of Ezhou City, the 17 victims have been identified and the bus has been pulled out of the water.

Rescue is under way.