NEW DELHI, June 26 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed in a head-on collision between a car and a truck in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal Tuesday, police said.

The accident occurred on national highway 34 in the state's Malda district.

"The car carrying five people, including four of a family, hit the truck coming from opposite direction this morning after its driver lost control of the vehicle," a police official said.

All occupants of the car died of their injuries on the way to a government hospital, he said.

The family was returning home in Malda after attending a wedding function in the Rampurhat area.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, the official said. "A manhunt has been launched to nab the truck driver who fled the spot after the accident," he added.

India has one of the highest numbers of road fatalities in the world. Road accidents occur mostly due to poor driving or badly maintained roads and vehicles.