NEW DELHI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed and six others injured critically Wednesday in a collision between an autorickshaw and a truck in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, police said.

The accident took place on Lakhisarai-Sikandra highway near Bihrarura village in Lakhisarai district, about 136 km southeast of Patna, the capital city of Bihar.

"Early today a truck rammed into the autorickshaw, carrying 15 people including the driver, that was coming from the opposite direction. Eight people were killed on the spot while the driver succumbed to his injuries in the hospital," a senior police official said, adding the six injured were hospitalized and said to be in critical condition.

The victims were identified as caterers who were returning home after finishing their work at a wedding.

Police said it appeared both vehicles were running at a high speed because of the less traffic on the road owing to the midnight hour.

The autorickshaw was completely crushed due to the impact of the collision.

Police suspected the accident was caused by the truck driver as he fled the scene after the crash. They have registered a case and ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of the accident.

Deadly road accidents are common in the South Asian country, often due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving.

Around 150,000 people are killed every year in about half a million road accidents across India, officials said. Enditem

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