Surat, June 2 -- At least seven people were killed, and 38 others injured as a Maharashtra State Transport bus collided head-on with another after hitting a tanker on National Highway 56 along the Bardoli-Vyara stretch in Surat district, police said here on Tuesday.

According to a top police officer, the collision occurred on the stretch leading from Bardoli towards Vyara and following the severe collision, one of the buses caught fire.

Inspector General (IG), Surat (Rural), Prem Vir Singh, stated that the accident was triggered after a passenger bus rammed into a water tanker from behind, crossed the divider and collided head-on with the another bus coming from the opposite direction.

"A water tanker was travelling ahead on the road. ...