Five children from the same family have died after the minivan they were travelling in crashed and caught fire in Drôme in south-west France.

The children were aged three to 14, reports French media.

Three adults and a seven-year-old child are in hospital in a serious condition following the accident on Monday evening.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted a tribute to the family.

“I share the immense pain of the relatives of the victims. My thoughts are also with those injured and all those who support them,” Mr Macron wrote.

An investigation has been opened to establish if the incident was caused by a technical failure or lack of vehicle maintenance, according to French media.

At least 53 firefighters attended the scene of the accident, as well as three helicopters to transfer the survivors to a hospital in Lyon for patients with severe burns, reports France Bleu.