Four students at Maine Maritime Academy in the US were killed in a road accident that injured three others.

The academy’s president, Jerry S Paul, said he was “devastated” to confirm the weekend incident.

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The Associated Press reported that the deaths took place after a Range Rover being driven by student Joshua Goncalves-Radding veered of the road, crashed into a tree and erupted into flames on Saturday in the town of Castine, Maine.

The newswire reported that Brian Kenealy, 20, of York, Maine; Chase Fossett, 21, of Gardiner, Maine; Luke Simpson, 22, of Rockport, Massachusetts; and Riley Ignacio-Cameron, 20, of Aquinnah, Massachusetts, were killed in the crash. Goncalves-Radding and two others survived.

“Our community is grieving for these young lives and for their families. While we have lost beloved members of our student body, tonight there are four families who have lost their children,” Paul said in a note on the academy’s website.

The university is one of six state maritime academies whose students can become merchant marine officers, in addition to offering academic programmes in international business and logistics, marine science, engineering and other areas. The crash took place a day after classes ended for the semester.

Maine State Police continue to investigate the cause of the accident.

“We will of course continue to work with the authorities in the coming days and continue to offer counselling support to our students, faculty and staff,” Paul said.

A vigil was held Sunday evening for the students who died.

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