Sambalpur, July 23: Six persons, including four women, were killed and three others seriously injured today after the car they were travelling in collided with a private bus at Paikmal in Bargarh district, 120km from here, police said.

The police identified the deceased as Shakuntala Seth, 40, Jayanti Bhoi, 30, Hema Ketaki, 50, Harisingh Bachha, 30, Harisingh's wife Kasturi Bachha, 20, and the owner of the car, who was driving the vehicle, Nirmal Khuntia, 30. They were travelling to Padmapur sub-divisional headquarters hospital for family planning operations.

Two of the deceased - Sakuntala Seth and Jayanti Bhoi - were volunteers of Asha, an organisation that takes care of women-related issues in the villages.

The accident took place near the Tarini temple, around 5km away from Paikmal village around 10am. The car collided head on with a private bus. All the six died on the spot.

The injured included Narahari Ketaki, 20, Santosh Bag, 26, and Santosh's wife Pushpalata Bag, 20. Santosh's three-year-old son, Bablu Bag, who was also in the car, escaped unhurt.

The police and the villagers rushed to the spot and rescued the injured persons trapped in the vehicle. The three were taken to the sub-divisional headquarters hospital and later shifted to the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research at Burla. They are critical.

Padmapur sub-divisional police officer Prakash Patra said: "The body of the deceased have been sent for autopsy and a case has been registered."

"The driver of the bus fled after the accident," the police said.

Bapi Das, a resident of Paikmal, said: "One of my relatives was in the bus. He informed me about the incident. I immediately rushed to the spot. Both the vehicles were travelling in high speed when the accident took place."