The news agency reported that the incident occurred in the afternoon on National Highway no. 44 under Noorabad police station area, some 15 km from the district headquarters, an official said.

Police inspector RB Yadav said three labourers, aged between 38 years and 42 years, were on board a tractor-trolley when a car crashed into it from behind.

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The car driver and his wife were also injured in the accident. They are being treated at the district hospital, he said.

Further steps are being taken as per the law, he added.

Meanwhile, in an another incident in Maharashtra, at least 12 people were killed and 23 others injured in the accident, the police said.

As many as 35 passengers were travelling by the private bus. They were returning to Nashik after visiting the Sailani Baba dargah in Buldhana district, an official said.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a post on X said an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased and the injured persons would be given Rs 50,000.

The accident took place shortly after midnight on Sunday in Vaijapur area of the expressway, located nearly 80 km from the district headquarters and 350 km from state capital Mumbai, as per officials.

The bus driver lost control over the wheels. As a result, the bus hit the stationary container truck from the rear side near Jambargaon toll plaza, police officials said.

Prima facie, the mini-bus was overloaded. It had the capacity to carry 17 people, but nearly 35 passengers were travelling on it, an official from Vaijapur police station told PTI.

Twelve passengers were killed. The deceased include five men, six women and a minor girl, a police official said.

(with PTI inputs)