The 37-year-old and her four-year-old child died and two other Australians were injured after their van hit a truck

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

An Australian woman and her young daughter have been killed and two other members of the family have been injured in a car crash in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan police said a 37-year-old woman and her four-year-old child died when their van collided at high speed with a truck that had broken down on the road near Nagoda, about two hours south of the capital, Colombo.

An officer told the Guardian it was not yet clear who, if anyone, was at fault for the accident but police were investigating.

He said a young boy and father from the same family had survived the accident and were recovering in local hospital.

Local media published images purporting to show the white van the family was travelling in with extensive damage.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson confirmed that two Australians had died while two other Australians who had been travelling with them were injured.



Sign up to receive the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Consular assistance was being provided to their families. “Due to privacy obligations we are unable to provide further information,” the spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.

News outlets in Colombo said the four Australians and the driver of the truck had been injured and admitted to the Kalutara Nagoda hospital, but the woman and her daughter had died.