Eight Kuwaiti youths were killed and 14 others injured, seven in critical condition, when several cars collided during an unofficial car race, a security source and witnesses said Tuesday.

Dozens of youths watched the race in Doha, 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) west of Kuwait City, around midnight Monday when the accident took place, witnesses told media.

Two of the racing cars went astray, smashed into four other parked vehicles, hitting many spectators, which caused the number of casualties to rise, a security source said.

Illegal car races are common in this affluent Gulf state where car ownership is very high. There are around 1.4 million registered vehicles in Kuwait, which has 1.1 million citizens and 2.3 million foreign residents.

Around 400 people die of road accidents and thousands are injured or maimed every year in the oil-rich emirate. 

Source:Agencies