Kuwait City, May 27 (IANS): At least eight people were killed and one injured on Monday in a mishap involving four cars in an area outside Kuwait's capital, the police said.

The incident took place in Kabad, about 35 km from Kuwait City. The tragedy occurred when a speeding vehicle hit a crowd that was gathered in the area to help following an accident involving three cars, leading to a four-car pileup, the Kuwaiti Fire Service Directorate said.

Fire brigades and air ambulances rushed to the scene and transported the victims to hospitals, Gulf News reported.

Authorities opened an investigation into the accident, the Interior Ministry's General Department of Public Relations and Security Media said without details.

Traffic crashes are among the world's highest in Kuwait, a Gulf country of around 4.5 million people.

At least 120 people have died in road accidents in Kuwait since the start of the year until mid-May, a security official told Al Qabas newspaper.