Five dead in Australian hit-and-run

Counsellors are being called in after a devastating road crash that has left five teenagers dead near the Australian city of Mildura in Victoria.

An out-of-control car ploughed into teenage partygoers last night, killing three girls and two boys instantly.

A 16-year-old girl has been flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with life-threatening head injuries.

Two other teenagers are in a critical condition, two serious and at least four others are in hospital.

Some of the injured are from the Red Cliffs Secondary College and some of those killed are former students.

Principal John Cortese says the students are devastated.

"Last night when I was called up I went to the hospital and there would have been some 600 students outside the hospital," he said.

He says counsellors have been called in.

The driver fled the crash scene.

A man aged in his 30s was arrested five hours later and is being questioned by police.

Police have also recovered the vehicle involved in the incident.

Senior Constable Wayne Wilson says the vehicle was dumped nearby.

"The car driver left his vehicle there and fled on foot," he said.

"We had the area sealed off. We've got the Major Collision Investigation Unit flying to the scene from Melbourne.

"The coroner is also flying there and at this stage a large amount of emergency personnel are on scene."

- RADIO AUSTRALIA