Pune, Mar 28 (IANS): At least five persons, including two minors, were killed and three others critically injured when a speeding pickup van rammed into two motorcycles near Lavanwadi village on the Kalyan-Ahmednagar highway, around midnight of Monday-Tuesday, officials said here.

The victims are all farm labourers belonging to the same family, and were returning to their homes along with their minor children after completing the day's work.

Suddenly, an oncoming loaded pick-up van collided headlong with the motorcycles which were thrown beside the road on the dark highway, around 11.30 p.m.

All the victims crashed onto the highway, badly injured and wailing for help, even as some passing vehicles summoned the Alephata Police Station nearby.

A police team rushed to the grisly accident spot and found at least one man had succumbed on the spot and quickly arranged for the other seven victims to be shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Four others succumbed to their injuries during treatment early this morning, police said. They had finished the day's work at a field in Narayangaon and were proceeding to their homes in Parner in adjoining Ahmednagar.

Some of the deceased victims have been identified as: Nitin S. Madhe, 22, Sunanda R. Madhe, 18, two minors - Rohini R. Madhe, 01, Gaurav R. Madhe - and further investigations are underway.

Locals informed that owing to the impact of the collision, many of the victims were flung high in the air before they fell with force, while the minor girl Rohini's body was found in a roadside ditch several metres away in a pool of blood.