San Francisco, Jan 3 (IANS): Nine people, including seven children, were killed in a severe head-on collision on Highway 33 in California, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said Saturday.

Ina statement on Saturday, CHP Central Division Cpt. Kevin Clays said the accident occurred at about 8 p.m. on January 1, when a Dodge travelling southbound on Highway 33 crossed the dirt on the side of the road and ran into the northbound highway before crashing head-on with a Ford pickup, reports Xinhua news agency.

The driver of the Dodge, a 28-year-old man, was killed on the spot, while the Ford burst into flames with eight people still inside, seven of whom were children.

"When the fire was extinguished, tragically, it was discovered there were eight occupants, seven of which appeared to be juveniles inside the Ford, all of which sustained fatal injuries," Cpt. Clays said at a press conference.

The cause of the crash was still under investigation, the CHP said, refusing to disclose more details about the victims.

Tony Botti, spokesperson from the Fresno County Coroner's Office, said that crews are working to identify all of the victims, the driver of the Ford was an adult and all of the passengers were children.

"It looks like they're two related families," he said.

"The ages are between six and 15 years old (for the) seven children."