Nagpur, May 23 (IANS): At least six persons were killed and another 12 were injured when a container truck and an state transport bus with 38 passengers collided on the old Mumbai-Nagpur Highway in Buldhana, police said here on Tuesday.

The accident took place near the Sindhkhed Raja town around 7.15 a.m. when the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus was proceeding from Pune to Mehkar in Buldhana, around 370 kms from here.

As per preliminary information, the vehicle may have lost control and rammed into the other one leading to the tragedy.

The injured have been rushed to hospitals in Buldhana and the condition of two has been described as 'critical'.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed grief over the tragedy and directed the MSRTC to give an ex-gratia of Rs 10-lakhs to the kin of each deceased victim and full treatment of all the injured at government expenses.

Arrangements are being made to hand over the bodies of the victims to their families, many from Pune, for the last rites.