Four people have been killed in a two-car crash on a remote highway in Queensland’s central highlands.

Police remained at the scene on the Capricorn Highway, between the historical coal mining towns of Comet and Blackwater, on Sunday afternoon. The highway was cut between the towns and was likely to be closed for some time.

Two people involved in the crash, which occurred at about 10.50am on Sunday, were taken to the Emerald hospital with serious injuries.

The highway, which runs from Rockhampton in central Queensland to Barcaldine, is a single-lane road in each direction for most of the journey. It has long straight sections, particularly around Blackwater.

“Four people died at the scene and two people were transported to Emerald hospital with serious injuries,” the Queensland police service said in a statement.

“Due to the complexity of the incident, there is no further information available at this time.”

It has been a horror weekend on Queensland roads, with at least eight fatalities since Friday evening.

Police were investigating how a 26-year-old man died after apparently falling from a car at Tamborine in the Scenic Rim.

Three teenagers died near Mackay when their car crashed into a dual-cab ute while attempting to overtake a truck at Glenella, near Mackay, on Friday night.

Two men and a woman – all aged 19 – died at the scene.