Six people were killed and four others injured after a road accident occurred on an expressway in Huaihua City, central China's Hunan Province, early Thursday, according to local traffic police.

The accident took place at around 2:07 a.m. at the Huaihua section of the Shanghai-Kunming expressway, the provincial expressway police said in a statement.

A heavy semi-trailer truck, driven by a 57-year-old man surnamed Ren, was heading east to west when it sideswiped a car, then collided with another car ahead. The truck lost control and pushed a third car forward, causing a fire, according to a preliminary investigation.

The accident left six people dead and four injured, and damaged four vehicles to varying degrees.

Ren is suspected of fatigued driving and has been taken into custody by public security authorities. Further investigation, treatment of the injured and follow-up work are underway.