Four Dutch students were hospitalised this evening after they were hit by a car on the road leading down to Splash and Fun in Bahar ic-Caghaq.

The incident happened at about 8.40 p.m.

At least two of the students were thrown some metres with the force of impact and fell a height of one storey onto trees which are below street level. Rescuers from the Civil Protection Department had to be called in to lift them out.

The car involved in the incident was driven by a 51-year-old man from Msida.

Three ambulance teams and the police were on the scene.

The road was closed and a magisterial inquiry is under way.

The incident immediately recalled the death of cyclist Cliff Micallef who died on impact in a hit-and-run incident close to the scene of this evening's incident and almost exactly a year ago - on July 30.