EIGHT people were killed when a truck ploughed into a group of tourists at a popular spot in central China.

Another 10 people were injured at Mount Du, a scenic area in Henan province, in the accident on Saturday during the Qing Ming festival, a Chinese national holiday, the Beijing News said.

The truck was driving down the mountain, and when it got near the entrance, its brakes failed, local residents told the newspaper.

It crashed through the gate and hit a group of tourists standing outside the entrance, knocking down 20 people and ramming through five cars, the report said.

A father and child were killed, and his wife was seen weeping next to their bodies, a witness told the newspaper.

University students were also among the dead, the report said.