India, May 19 -- At least 13 people lost their lives and 25 others were injured on Monday when a tempo ferrying guests to an engagement party collided head-on with a container truck on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway in Palghar district.

The tempo was travelling on the wrong side of the highway to avoid a 3-kilometre detour, and the impact of the collision was so severe that the container got detached from the body of the truck and toppled onto the tempo, crushing the occupants beneath, police said. A two-wheeler which was passing by also got crushed under the container, resulting in the death of both the rider and the pillion rider.

Doctors said the condition of some of the injured was critical and apprehended that the death toll...