SAO PAULO, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and several others injured on New Year's Eve in a multi-car crash in southern Brazil, local authorities said on Wednesday.

The accident occurred on a state highway near a town in southern Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state, said municipal police in Sao Miguel das Missoes.

Two of the vehicles collided head-on, killing two in one car and three in the other. No fatalities were reported in the third vehicle.

The five fatal victims included a 3-year-old child, police spokesperson Luciana Cunha told reporters.

The passengers were all locals on their way to celebrate the New Year.