Three people have been killed and two others remain in critical condition following a horror head-on collision on Tasmania’s Bass Highway on Friday afternoon.

An Isuzu D-MAX travelling north and a Chery station wagon bound for Launceston collided, forcing police to close a stretch of the highway at Elizabeth Town for hours.

Two women in the Chery, believed to be just 19 years old, died at the scene. A 51-year-old man sitting in the rear seat of the Isuzu also lost his life.

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“Sadly, both of those women were declared deceased at the scene,” Tasmania Police Commander Marco Ghedini said.

Police at the scene. Credit: 7NEWS

Two men in the Isuzu sustained serious injuries. The driver was airlifted to Royal Hobart Hospital, while his front seat passenger was initially taken to Launceston General Hospital via ambulance before being transported to Hobart on Saturday morning.

Both men remain in critical condition.

The collision occurred painfully close to a crash barrier that could have resulted in a different outcome.

“We’ll ensure that we can provide the families with any support that we can,” Ghedini said.

Tasmania Police Commander Marco Ghedini Credit: 7NEWS

Police say the cause of the crash remains uncertain and are yet to confirm if either car veered into the oncoming lane.

“There is a lot of evidence to work through and we’ll have a clearer picture as to what’s occurred as those investigations progress,” Ghedini said.

Crash investigators continue to examine the scene, with anyone with further information urged to come forward.