At least 12 people were killed when their vehicle travelling at high speed rammed into a truck in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.

Nine of the 17 people in the minivan were killed on the spot while three others succumbed at the Shajanpurwa hospital.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) S.S. Channappa told that five persons were in critical condition and undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The accident took place near a famous roadside eatery on the National Highway 24 as the driver dozed off at the wheel.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has condoled the deaths.

He ordered the district administration to ensure proper treatment to the injured, a government spokesman told.