At least seven people were killed Sunday in Italy when a car driven by a Moroccan man allegedly under the influence of drugs, crashed into a group of cyclists, news reports said.
Four people, including the 21-year-old driver, were injured in the collision which took place on a road near Lamezia Terme, in the southern region of Calabria, the ANSA news agency said.
The driver's 10-year-old nephew was also in the car at the time of the crash, but did not receive any injuries, ANSA said.
The driver, who was identified as Chafik Elketani, was under police guard in hospital on suspicion of manslaughter, the ANSA news agency said. He was later transferred to a prison in the city of Catanzaro
Tests showed traces of cannabis in Elketani's blood, ANSA said. His driving licence had been apparently withdrawn earlier this year for another traffic infringement, dpa reported.
Elketani's car, a Mercedes-Benz, apparently ploughed into the cyclists travelling on the opposite lane when he tried to overtake another vehicle, ANSA said.
The ages of the cyclists killed ranged from 35 to 58.