Three people are dead following an early morning accident and vehicle fire in Eastern Passage, N.S.

RCMP say they responded to a fire off the Cow Bay Road around 1:30 a.m. Saturday. When they arrived, officers determined the fire had started as the result of a single-vehicle accident.

Cpl. Lisa Croteau says all three occupants of the vehicle died at the scene.

“Upon arrival, RCMP noticed that the vehicle was actually involved in a collision,” says Cpl. Croteau. “The vehicle was still engulfed and inside they found three people who had been deceased.

The names, genders and ages of those involved in the fatal collision are unknown at this time. RCMP says they are still working to identify the victims.

Neighbours tell CTV News that they started to notice flames coming from a wooded area near the intersection.

The cause of the fatal collision remains unknown. An RCMP collision analyst was called in to attempt to piece together what led to the deadly crash, and police are asking for help from the public.

“If the public has seen a vehicle on Cow Bay Road around that time, around 1:30 a.m., any information would be valuable to us.” Says Cpl. Croteau.

The road was closed for several hours, but has since been reopened to traffic.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Natasha Pace.