NEW DELHI, May 27 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed in a road accident in the western Indian state of Maharashtra late Friday night, a senior police official said Saturday.
"The accident happened when a speeding car in which the victims were travelling dashed into a tree on Ahmednagar-Manmad highway. While six people were killed on the spot, two others died of their injuries on the way to a nearby hospital," he said, on condition of anonymity.
The accident hauled up traffic on the highway for nearly an hour. "Passersby informed us and a police team soon rushed to the spot," the official said.
The bodies will be handed over to their families later in the day after autopsy, the official said, adding that the accident took place after the driver lost control of the speeding vehicle.
"A probe has been ordered into the incident," he said.
Road accidents are very common in India, often due to poor driving or badly maintained roads and vehicles. More than 400 people are killed in accidents every day, according to official statistics.
