JINAN -- A suspected drunk driving incident occurred on Tuesday night in the city of Liaocheng in East China's Shandong province, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals and injuries to four others, according to authorities of Chiping District of Liaocheng.

Initial investigations revealed that the driver, surnamed Du, 37, was driving a passenger car while allegedly under the influence of alcohol, when he collided with several electric bicycles, at around 10:46 pm on Tuesday. As a consequence, one person was killed at the scene of the incident, while seven others died despite receiving hospital treatment. Four other individuals are in stable conditions in hospital.

Du is currently in police custody. Preliminary investigations indicate that the accident was caused by drunk driving, with Du's blood alcohol concentration level at 195.3 mg/100 ml. The case will be further investigated.