At least one person was killed and eight others remained missing after their bus fell into a lake in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Wednesday.

The accident happened at about 10 a.m. when the bus carrying 16 people, all fishermen, dropped into Ulunggur Lake in Altay region in northern Xinjiang, rescuers said.

Eight were rescued. Among them, one was confirmed dead and the others were sent to the hospital. Rescuers are still searching for the eight missing in the freezing lake, whose temperature has hit minus 20 degrees Celsius in winter.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident.