The incident took place about 8:00 a.m. on Sunday in the province of Xaysomboun (pronounced Sai-sum-boon) when the victims, one of whom was employed by a Chinese mining company, were riding in a vehicle, Xinhua reported.
Chinese diplomats have visited the survivor, identified by the surname Zhou, and have requested a swift investigation, Xinhua said.
China is a major investor in Laos' rich abundance of minerals and other natural resources and shares its one-party form of authoritarian communist government. A special Chinese presidential envoy, Song Tao, is due to visit the country this week, Xinhua said.