Beijing police on Thursday blamed poor driving for an accident in a northern part of the city, where four people were killed when a minibus drove into a market.

The incident happened in mid-afternoon on Wednesday in a small town in Beijing's largely rural Changping district, where the minibus drove into an agricultural market.

Police said in a short statement the driver "improperly operated" the minibus, causing it to lose control. Another 12 people were injured, none of whom suffered life-threatening injuries.

The driver has been detained on suspicion of causing the accident and investigations are underway, the statement said.

China has a poor traffic safety record.