Kolkata, Nov 9 (IANS): Three people were killed on Saturday after being hit by a pickup van at Tulshihata in West Bengal's Malda district.

Three others, including the driver of the pickup vehicle, sustained injuries in the incident and were rushed to a local hospital.

As per the latest information, the condition of all three injured in the accident was critical.

Eyewitnesses said five persons were strolling on the street when the speedily-driven pickup van hit them from behind. The impact of the collision was such that the victims were tossed away from the point of the accident.

Even the driver of the pickup van lost control over steering because of the impact of the collision and ultimately rammed into a tree in which the driver also suffered injuries.

The three persons, who died on the spot, have been identified as Suresh Khaitan (60), Fekonlal Ram (60) and Dilip Saha (49). Khaitan was a medical practitioner by profession.

The two pedestrians who received grave injuries have been identified as Sasha's wife Sraboni Saha (40) and Shankar Karmakar (43). They, along with the driver of the pickup van Md Helal (40), were receiving treatment at Chanchal Super-specialty Hospital.

The cops have sent the bodies of the deceased for post-mortem.

The accident spot was quite close to the National Highway-31.

The local people complained that goods vehicles, especially pickup vans, rush at high speeds, without caring about the traffic rules.

"Today's accident was entirely because of the fault of the pickup van driver. He was driving rashly and those who were hit were at a distance on one side of the national highway. The administration should do something about the rash driving by drivers of the goods vehicle," an eyewitness told media persons.