More than 50 cars were involved in a series of accidents caused by a sudden heavy snowfall on a freeway in East China's Shandong province on Thursday, leaving two people dead, local authorities said.

More than 50 cars were involved in a series of accidents caused by a sudden heavy snowfall on a freeway in East China's Shandong province on December 8, 2011.

Eleven people were injured in the accidents, at least three of them seriously. All of the seriously injured people in the accidents were taken to the local hospital for treatment, said Pan Yuan, a publicity officer of the Weifang fire department, which took part in the rescue. Six of the injured chose not to go to the hospital.