HANGZHOU - An overloaded car collided with a truck in East China's Zhejiang province on Thursday, killing seven people and injuring another, local authorities said.

The accident happened at about 1 am on a highway in the city of Taizhou, a local law enforcement spokesman said.

The car, which was originally designed with a maximum capacity of five people, was carrying eight people when the accident occurred, the spokesman said. Seven of the passengers died instantly.

The injured passenger is currently being treated at a local hospital, according to the spokesman.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident, the spokesman said.