Sydney, Dec 29 (IANS): Two people were killed and a dozen more got injured on Friday after a five-vehicle crash in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW).

At about 12.50 p.m. local time, emergency services responded to reports of a serious five-vehicle crash along the Great Western Highway in Wallerawang, a small town about 156 kilometers northwest of Sydney, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Two persons have been confirmed deceased with approximately a dozen other people being treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for various injuries," the NSW Police Force confirmed in a statement.

According to the statement, a crime scene has been established, and a specialist unit is rushing to the accident site.

The Great Western Highway is now closed in both directions and is expected to remain a crime scene for a considerable amount of time.

Figures from the NSW government showed that as of Thursday, 349 people had lost their lives this year on the state's roads.