Six people were killed when a lorry drove off a dike in the Netherlands and crashed into a community barbecue, police said.

Seven other people are in hospital, one in a critical condition, after the accident in a village south of Rotterdam.

Three men and three women were killed, ranging in age from 28 to 75, police added.

Police spokeswoman Mirjam Boers said the truck driver, a 46-year-old Spanish man, is suspected of causing the crash in Nieuw-Beijerland early on Saturday evening.

She said the driver was not under the influence of alcohol.

The large truck he was driving left a small rural road and careered down the bank of the dike before ploughing into the village gathering.

The exact cause of the crash is under investigation.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima said in a tweet that they were shocked by the accident which had caused “an unimaginable sadness in this close-knit community. The affected families are in our thoughts and we wish the injured strength on their way to as good a recovery as possible”.

Forensic investigators worked into the night on Saturday around the truck where it stopped at the bottom of the dike. A crane and a tow truck later hauled it back onto the road.

Photos of the scene showed bunting hanging between trees and chairs scattered around trestle tables with plates still on them.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte also expressed his sadness in a tweet, saying: “My thoughts go out to the victims and next of kin of this terrible drama. I wish them much strength.”

Local mayor Charlie Aptroot visited the scene on Saturday night.

“My condolences go out to the victims, their families, eyewitnesses and first responders,” he said in a statement.

He added that he had spoken to many of the people at the scene and expressed “appreciation for the way in which people are there for each other”.