HEFEI, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Four people have been killed and another eight injured after a van hit an oil tanker head-on in east China's Anhui Province on Friday, authorities said.

The accident happened at around 8:40 a.m. along a provincial-level highway in Mengcheng County, said a spokesman with the Mengcheng County Government.

Among the injured who were receiving treatment in hospital, two were in a critical condition, said the spokesman.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.