Hokkaido crash claimed the life of a HK woman with 5 others injured

A 53-year-old Hong Kong woman dies and five others sustain injuries after a rental car carrying Hong Kong tourists collided head-on with another vehicle in Japan's Hokkaido.

The case marks the second serious accident in five days involving Hong Kong tourists going on rental car road trips in Japan.

According to Sapporo TV news, the crash unfolded at around 3pm on Sunday in the Gakuden Sanku Area of Furano City.

Japanese police say a 52-year-old Hong Kong man was driving the rental vehicle.

The victim, identified as a 53-year-old woman, was sitting in the front passenger seat and was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.

Two teenage girls were also in the rental car, and police believe the four passengers are members of the same family.

The collision also injured the two passengers in the other vehicle, bringing the total number of those affected to six.

Investigations are ongoing as to whether the Hong Kong driver's rental car crossed into the oncoming lane, causing the head-on collision.

The fatal crash comes just five days after another self-drive accident which involves Chinese tourists in Hokkaido -- reportedly including a Hong Kong police officer.

On July 16, the rental car carrying five Chinese nationals collided with a JR train at a railway crossing in Kamifurano.

The two men and three women suffered minor injuries.

Police believe the vehicle might have stopped on the tracks after entering the crossing and are investigating the circumstances.

Following the incidents, the Chinese Embassy in Japan issued a safety reminder, urging Chinese citizens travelling in Japan to exercise extra caution on the roads, particularly when driving rental vehicles.