A tourist coach ran into a hillside along a highway in Yilan Couty, China's Taiwan region, on Tuesday afternoon, killing six and injuring 39, the local fire department said.

The bus, with 45 people on board, was on its way from Hualien county in eastern Taiwan to Taipei when the accident took place at about 4 p.m., according to the local fire department.

Those who were injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals. Local authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.