A 40-year-old Briton is among three killed while ‘many children’ are injured as a van carrying a British family of seven hits two other vehicles in a horror crash in France

Members of a British family of seven are among the dead and injured in a horror crash in northern France.

At least three people, including a woman from the United Kingdom, are among those who lost their lives in the collision on the A26 motorway, south of Lens, on Sunday evening.

“Three people died and dozens injured, including many children,” a spokesman for the local emergency services said.

“A van with a British family of seven on board was one of three vehicles involved in the accident.

“A 40-year-old Briton died instantly, along with two other people traveling in another vehicle.

“The other passengers – aged between 6 and 48 – were taken to hospital in Cambrai and Arras.”

Emergency services are pictured at the scene of the crash last night

The source said some survivors remained in a “life-threatening position” in intensive care on Monday morning.

The accident occurred on Sunday, shortly after 6 p.m., on a section of highway under construction, between the municipalities of Neuville-Saint-Vaast and Thélus.

A second vehicle was carrying four people, a 75-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man, who were also deceased.

The other two passengers in that car were a 14-year-old boy and a 79-year-old man who were in “critical condition”.

The third vehicle involved was a car with four passengers, including three children, aged 6 to 33.

The section of the A26 motorway was closed until late Saturday night as six emergency medical teams rushed to the scene.

About 60 firefighters were also dispatched to the site of the accident to try to rescue the victims.

An investigation has been opened to try to determine the cause of the accident.

The incident happened at the height of the festive period, when thousands of British drivers cross the English Channel.