The Eastern Finland Police Department on Saturday reported three deaths following a morning road accident on Rantasalmentie near central Savonlinna.

The three victims were all around 20 years old. A fourth passenger was critically injured and is being treated at Kuopio University Hospital.

The accident occurred when the passenger car drove onto the median, where it crashed into a road sign.

The speed limit at the crash site is 60 kilometres per hour.

Chief Inspector Jyrki Koskinen said it was likely that the car's high speed contributed to the driver losing control of the vehicle in the rain.

"It was raining so heavily at the time of the accident that water had collected in the tyre grooves," he said.