TAIPEI - Twelve Chinese mainland travellers sustained minor injuries on Sunday afternoon as a result of a rear-end collision of two tourist buses in the Hualien County on Taiwan's eastern coast, local authorities said.

A bus carrying travellers from the Chongqing Municipality collided from behind with another bus carrying tourists from Shaanxi Province suspectedly because of slippery road on a rainy day, an initial investigation by police found.

The collision caused facial bleeding, hand fracture, among other minor injuries, to the travellers, local fire department said. The injured have been treated at local hospitals.

Further investigation is still ongoing to ascertain the accident cause, according to the police.

Taiwan, a popular travel destination, has seen an increasing number of tourists from the mainland as cross-Strait ties continue to improve in recent years.