Nine people died Friday in Peru when their van tumbled down a cliff into a deep ravine as the driver and his helper were checking the vehicle's tires.

The highway police said the accident took place early Friday in Succha in Sanchez Carrion province, some 500 km from Lima. Six others were seriously injured.

According to a preliminary official report, the driver and his assistant were checking the vehicle's tires when the van began to slide and fell to the bottom of the ravine, Xinhua reported.