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A 25-year-old Japanese passenger was killed on Saturday when the Landcruiser he was travelling in rolled on Fraser Island.

At about 9.40am local time on Saturday, 9km north of the Dundabura Camping Ground on Fraser Island, a Toyota Landcruiser carrying eight Japanese tourists rolled after the driver allegedly swerved to avoid an obstacle on the sand.

The six other passengers and the driver, all between the ages of 23 and 29 were taken to hospital with injuries.

Following a double fatality in a vehicle crash in April, new restrictions for 4WD hire companies were proposed. The restrictions only allow seven people to travel inside any one 4WD at a time and luggage was not to be permitted on the roof of the vehicle. Popular “troop carriers” were previously licensed to carry 11 passengers.

The restrictions were due to be introduced before this Christmas however the Queensland transport minister Rachel Nolan said operators needed more time to make their vehicles compliant. The restrictions will now be effective from April 1 next year.

Nolan said she had been told the vehicle involved in Saturday’s incident was not a troop carrier and was not top-loaded but a modern Landcruiser with forward-facing seats.