Jaipur, Oct 23 (IANS): Three people -- a driver and two women -- died while 46 others were injured as a bus collided with a tractor-trolley on the Jaipur-Delhi national highway in Kotputli-Behror district on Wednesday.

The accident happened early morning. Of the 46 injured bus passengers 17 were reported to be in critical condition and have been referred to a hospital in Jaipur, said officials.

District Collector Kalpana Agarwal said the bus was going from Ajmer to Delhi to attend Radhaswami Satsang when the accident took place at Kanwarpura stand in Kotputli at around 5 a.m.

Kotputli police station officer Rajesh Sharma said, "A sleeper bus was on its way from Ajmer to Delhi on National Highway when it collided with a tractor-trolley going ahead near Kanwarpura stand. All the injured were brought to the Government BDM District Hospital from where the seriously injured were referred to Jaipur. On receiving information of the accident, police, and administration officials, including the Collector, Additional District Magistrate (ADM), and Superintendent of Police (SP) reached the hospital."

Sharma further said the trolley driver fled soon after the accident. The police have put up blockades at various places.

District Collector Agarwal said all the passengers on the bus were from Ajmer. Four buses had left Ajmer together for the Satsang. One of these buses met with an accident.

The deceased have been identified -- Maya, a resident of Alwar; Sunita Sahu, a resident of Beawar and the bus driver Vishal Sharma, a resident of Jaipur.

The exact cause of the accident was being ascertained. A probe was underway, said the officials.