Four people were killed and another eight injured when a highway patrol pickup truck ran into a crowd at an agricultural bazaar in Huitong county, Hunan province, on Wednesday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The tragedy took place at 10:10 am. The vehicle, owned by Hunan Huaihua Highway and Bridge Corporation, suddenly lost control and ran down a slope into the crowd at the county's busy Chengdong Agricultural Bazaar.

Three people were killed at the scene and another died after being sent to a nearby hospital.

The other injured people are now in stable condition and receiving treatment in hospitals.

The company driver, surnamed Zhang, was driving the vehicle to the downtown area to go shopping when the deadly accident happened.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.