A senior Taiwanese government official and two family members were killed in a head-on collision between a car and a large truck in eastern Hokkaido, police said.
Chung Lung, 65, the third-highest ranking official at the Ministry of Culture in Taipei, and her 23-year-old son, Hung Ying-wen, both died Friday after the two vehicles collided in snowy conditions, police announced Saturday.
Police believe that the third fatality is the wife of another of Chung's sons, Hung Chi-wen, 35, who was driving the car at the time of the accident and sustained severe injuries. However, authorities have yet to officially confirm the identity of the third deceased victim.
The truck driver was only slightly injured.
Four people were traveling in the car when it collided with the truck at around 11:15 a.m. on Route 274 in the village of Tsurui, police said.
Chung and her family were in Hokkaido for sightseeing trip, according to police.