Seven adopted dogs on their way to their forever homes are killed after vehicle transporting them bursts into flames

A van carrying 11 dogs rescued and rehabilitated by Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue in Texas was en route to New York to meet their new families when the vehicle caught fire.

The destroyed van after a fire in it killed seven dogs. (Facebook/Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue )

Seven newly adopted dogs on their way to forever homes were killed when the vehicle transporting them suddenly went up in flames.

A van carrying 11 dogs rescued and rehabilitated by Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue in Texas was en route to New York to meet their new families when the vehicle caught fire in Illinois on Friday, Click2Houston reported.

The van’s drivers managed to save just four dogs after their vehicle went up in flames.

Seven of the dogs did not survive the fire, the rescue said.

One of the dogs, named Guapo, suffered severe burns from the fire and was hospitalized, but is expected to make a full recovery.

Piglet was one of the seven dogs who died in a van fire in Chicago. (Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue / Facebook)

Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue shelter said Sampson, pictured, and several other dogs were on their way to forever homes at the time of the tragic incident. (Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue / Facebook)

It was not immediately clear how the fire started, but the rescue team described the blaze as “fast and intense.”

In a post on social media, Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue thanked their drivers for being able to save four dogs – Guapo, Sasha, Charlie and Magnolia.

The rescue also paid tribute to the seven dogs who did not survive, writing “RIP Pancho, Piglet, Penny, Clover, Stetson, Lancelot and Presto.”

While drivers were able to save four dogs from the blaze, Poncho, pictured, unfortunately died. (Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue)

The shelter said ‘words cannot express the grief we feel’ after a van carrying several dogs, including Penny, pictured, burst into flames. (Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue)

“We are devastated by this loss. Words cannot express the grief we feel, nor the gratitude we have for our drivers—true heroes in this unimaginable moment—and for the many people who stepped in to help at the scene,” the rescue wrote on social media.

“We take a small amount of comfort in hoping the ones that did not survive passed quickly and without prolonged suffering,” the post continued.

Several people tried in vain to save Clover, pictured, and the other dogs. (Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue / Facebook)

Lancelot was one of the victims of the van fire, the shelter confirmed. (Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue / Facebook)

Presto passed away in the van fire, but three other dogs have since been united with their forever families. (Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue)

While Guapo remains in the hospital receiving care, the three other surviving dogs have since been united with their adoptive families.