(Image source from: Government Technology)

A direct collision in Arizona on Wednesday night killed eight people, including some illegal immigrants, officials said.

The two-vehicle crash took place around 10 p.m. on State Route 79 south of Florence, Arizona, a news release from the state’s Department of Public Safety said. The area is over 120 miles north of the Mexico border.

The officials said a Chevy Suburban with nine individuals inside was driving north on the highway before a Buick traveling the opposite direction slammed into it.

"It is unknown why the southbound Buick went left of center and collided head-on with the Suburban," officials said.

According to the news release, the deceased individuals in the Chevy Suburban were the driver, front seat passenger and four other riders - who were illegal immigrants.

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The remaining three passengers - also illegal immigrants - sustained "serious to life-threatening injuries" and were transported to nearby hospitals, officials said.

"Of the nine occupants in the Suburban, the driver, front seat passenger, and four additional passengers were killed as a result. Three other passengers are at area hospitals with serious to life-threatening injuries," the news release said. "The driver and front seat passenger are the United States citizens and the additional seven occupants are undocumented immigrants."

Authorities, with the help of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), are trying to identify the deceased individuals in order to notify their families.

Two people in the Buick - the driver and the person riding in the front seat - also died, officials said, adding that "troopers are working to make next-of-kin notifications."

By Sowmya Sangam