A tempo packed with guests heading for an engagement ceremony collided with a speeding container truck on Monday on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Maharashtra's Palghar district, killing 11 people and injuring 20 others, police said.

The accident occurred near Dhaniwari village under Dahanu taluka at around 4 pm when the Eicher tempo, packed with more than 50 passengers, was heading for the engagement ceremony of one Balaram Jairam Dandekar, hailing from Bapugaon Khadkipada village, they said.

"A total of 11 persons died and 20 others were injured in the ghastly accident. The injured have been rushed to the Kasa Upazila Hospital and other nearby medical facilities for treatment," Senior Inspector Amar Patil of the Kasa police station told PTI.

According to police, the impact of the collision was so severe that both the tempo and the container overturned on the spot, trapping several passengers underneath the vehicles.

Preliminary investigations suggest the tempo was carrying passengers way beyond its capacity. Excessive speed, a narrow stretch of the road, and the tempo driver losing control of the vehicle are suspected to be the primary causes behind the crash.

While five passengers died on the spot, six others succumbed to their injuries later. The fatality count could rise further as the condition of several injured passengers remains critical, police said.

Following the crash, chaotic scenes were witnessed on the busy highway as local residents, police personnel, and rescue teams rushed to the spot to extricate the victims from the mangled remains of the vehicles.

The tragedy turned the festive atmosphere of the engagement into a state of grief for the families involved.

Police have registered a case and initiated a thorough probe.