Six killed in fire after head-on collision

London: Six people have been killed after two cars collided and burst into flames, police said. The head-on collision occurred on a straight stretch of road notorious for speeding at around 11pm on Friday night.

Both cars exploded on impact and police believe all passengers and drivers died immediately or within seconds of the crash which took place on the A614 near Bilsthorpe in Nottinghamshire.

Police said that a mature couple, possibly in their 60s, were travelling in a Ford Fiesta while four young adults were in a Peugeot 206 when the cars collided. All are believed to be from the local area.

The accident was discovered by two police officers on a routine traffic patrol just minutes after the crash. The two officers risked their lives to pull a female passenger free from the flaming wreckage of the Fiesta only to discover she was already dead.

Although it was a cold night, police do not believe that the road conditions played any part in the incident.

Supt Bruce Cameron of Nottinghamshire Police said it could be several days before the names of the dead will be released.

He said: "The bodies are very badly burnt and they will have to be identified using dental records. We want to make sure we are absolutely certain as to who was in both cars when the accident happened.

Supt Cameron said the crash was one of the worst he had seen in 29-years service, eight of which were spent in the traffic division.