HEFEI, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Three people died and 15 were injured in seven pile-ups involving 27 vehicles during heavy fog on a highway in east China's Anhui Province, local traffic police said on Saturday.

The injured, including three seriously injured, were described stable in hospital, said police.

The accidents happened at about 7:00 a.m. on Friday near Anqing City, when visibility was less than 60 meters. Two people died at in crashes and one died in hospital.

The accidents caused tailbacks for several kilometers and traffic returned to normal later on Friday afternoon.

An investigation into the cause of the accidents is underway, but police said low visibility and high speed contributed.

It is the second time in a week that fatal pile-ups have occurred during fog in Anhui. On Jan. 21, five people died and eight were injured in a pile-up involving 18 vehicles in Jieshou city.