Lucknow, Oct 15 (IANS): Eight people travelling to Lucknow to sell goats for Bakr-i-Eid were among nine killed Tuesday when their van smashed into a truck on the outskirts of this Uttar Pradesh capital, police said.

A dozen other people were injured in the head-on collision at Malihabad early Tuesday.

Seven of the injured are in critical condition, according to doctors attending them. They were admitted to a primary health centre but were later referred to the trauma centre at a medical college in Lucknow.

The accident took place when the van rammed head on into a speeding truck coming from the opposite direction.

Nine people were killed on the spot.

Eight people who died belonged to the Devari village in Hardoi and were coming to the state capital to sell goats for Bakr-i-Eid.

Superintendent of Police (rural) Saumitra Yadav told IANS that the dead were Iqbal (28), Pappu (35), Wahid (25), Raoof (30), Mubarak (32), Mannan (22), Mateen (28), Bankelal (45) and 24-year-old driver Pankaj.