Five people have been killed in a 23-car pileup on a central Chinese highway that came as millions of families were heading home from the Lunar New Year holiday.

The accident happened shortly after 5 a.m. on Sunday near the city of Anqing in Anhui province. Police said the cause of the accident was under investigation but warned of rainy and snowy conditions on highways around much of the country.

Photos posted by online news website The Paper showed smashed vehicles pressed up against each along a mountainous section of highway.

This year's three-week travel rush has seen relatively few deadly accidents compared to previous years.