Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 19 (IANS): Two persons were killed on the spot and five seriously injured after a pickup van lost control and rammed into people standing on the roadside on Sunday morning.

The incident occurred at Kannapuram in Kannur district of Kerala. Police said the pickup van driver dozed off and lost control of the vehicle which ploughed into people who were standing near a bridge at Kannapuram on Sunday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Abdul Salam (28) and Noushad (32) of Kannapuram. The injured were rushed to the Kannur medical college hospital at Pariyaram.

Police have taken into custody the van driver, Siraj, who admitted that he had dozed off while at the wheel and lost control.

Sujathan, an onlooker said the people were chatting on the roadside near Kannapuram bridge on Sunday morning when a pickup van that was going straight on the road suddenly lost control and hit them.

Abdul Salam and Noushad died on the spot. The injured were taken to the Government Medical College, Kannur in Pariyaram. The situation of one of the injured was extremely critical, police said.

Kannapuram police said that a case has been registered against the driver, who is in custody.