RIO DE JANEIRO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 members of the same family were killed in a head-on collision between a truck and a van in Brazil's eastern state of Bahia, authorities said Monday.

The crash occurred Sunday afternoon on the BR-116 highway near the municipality of Santa Teresinha, about 190 km from the state capital Salvador, the federal highway police said.

According to preliminary investigations, the truck crossed into the opposite lane and collided with the van, which was carrying members of the family returning to Salvador from a birthday party in the city of Amargosa.

The truck driver was injured and taken into custody while receiving medical treatment.

Police said the truck's tachograph showed operational irregularities, making it impossible to verify how long the driver had been behind the wheel before the crash. ■