At least nine persons, including eight women farm labourers, died when an autorickshaw and a state transport bus collided on National Highway-60 in Bengal's Birbhum district on Tuesday afternoon, a senior police officer said.

The incident occurred at Mallarpur near Rampurhat when the overcrowded autorickshaw collided head-on with the South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) bus.

Birbhum district Superintendent of Police Nagendra Nath Tripathi said that the eight women were passengers of the three-wheeler and the ninth victim its driver.

The women were returning home from a paddy field, he said.

Their bodies have been taken to Arambagh hospital, where post mortem would be conducted, the SP said.

The bus was on its way to Durgapur from Arambagh when the collision occurred.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the loss of lives and announced Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased.

At least nine persons, including eight women farm labourers, died when an autorickshaw and a state transport bus collided on National Highway-60 in Bengal's Birbhum district on Tuesday afternoon, a senior police officer said.

The incident occurred at Mallarpur near Rampurhat when the overcrowded auto rickshaw collided head-on with the South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) bus.

"Anguished by the loss of lives due to a tragic accident in Birbhum district of West Bengal. Prayers with the injured," Modi was quoted as saying in a tweet by his office.

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 would be given Rs 50,000, Modi said.