Seven Pakistani children from the same family, the youngest just two years old, were killed when a speeding truck smashed into their house, officials said on Thursday.

Seven Pakistani children from the same family, the youngest just two years old, were killed when a speeding truck smashed into their house, officials said on Thursday.

The vehicle lost control and crashed into the single-roomed mud home of a labourer near Jhang, in central Punjab province, around midnight on Wednesday, hitting it with such force that the roof collapsed.

Muhammad Ramzan, 35, the owner of the house, was asleep along with his wife and nine children when the accident happened. The parents and two of the children escaped with injuries.

"The dead include five girls and two boys. One minor, in a small cot, whose body was smashed, had a toy in his hand when we recovered his body," Tariq Saeed, district emergency officer, told AFP.

Police told AFP the driver of the truck and his helper were arrested after the incident.

Pakistan has a poor road safety record and dozens of people die in traffic accidents every month, many caused by poor road conditions and speeding by old, badly maintained vehicles.