Five tourists have been killed while visiting Bolivia's famous salt flats after the vehicle they were travelling in flipped over.

Police have confirmed that three were Belgian, one was Italian and one was Peruvian.

Border Police commander Col. Rodolfo Salazar told the Associated Press on Sunday that the driver lost control of the vehicle as it sped on the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat and the main tourist destination in the country's south.

Three Belgians, one Italian and one Peruvian have been killed at the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia when their tour vehicle flipped over (file photo, not actual vehicle)

Police said that in addition to the five killed, three people were injured, and they were transported to a hospital 125 miles away.

The accident took place on Saturday night about 86 miles south of La Paz, Bolivia.

The Local.It reports that four of those killed were women, and that the vehicle 'was not speeding'.

Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat and the main tourist destination in the country's south (file photo)

Salar de Uyuni stretches 6,500 miles and the salt flats are even larger than Lake Titicaca, the vast stretch of water shared by Bolivia and neighbouring Peru.

The South American geological wonder is so flat Nasa uses its surface to calibrate satellite orbits.

As well as being stunning, the Salar also contains the highest concentration of lithium - vital for computer and phone batteries - in the world.