Nashik (Maharashtra), May 14 (IANS): Three persons, including two women were killed and a two-year-old boy was critically injured when the car in which they were travelling collided with a state transport bus, officials said here on Tuesday afternoon.

According to a police official, the accident took place on the Nandgaon-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Road near Gangadhari village around 10.30 a.m., when the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) passenger bus was plying from Chalisgaon to Manmad.

At that time, the speeding bus attempted to overtake a vehicle ahead, and banged headlong into the car coming from the opposite direction.

The crash was so severe that the front portion of the bus, as well as the car, were badly smashed and the occupants in the smaller vehicle reportedly succumbed instantly. Their identity, place of origin and other details are awaited.

The bus passengers - who pointed fingers at the ST bus driver for rash and negligent driving - summoned the police who rushed there to probe the accident.

The police also arranged to shift the two vehicles from the road and cleared a massive traffic snarl that had developed in both directions shortly after noon.

Meanwhile, police have rushed the injured to a nearby hospital for treatment and sent the bodies of the three deceased for autopsy.