Tumakuru, Mar 6 (IANS): In a horrific accident, 13 persons were killed and three others injured when the two-sport utility vehicles (SUVs) they were travelling in collided at Kunigal in Tumakuru on the Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway (NH-75) early Friday morning, police said.

The dead included four women and two children. Three persons were injured in the accident, in which drivers of both the vehicles were among the dead.

"The accident occurred when a compact SUV with four passengers crashed into another SUV after hitting and jumping the road divider and toppling near Kunigal around 1 am," Tumakuru Superintendent of Police Vamsi Krishna told IANS on phone.

Kunigal town is about 75km northwest of Bengaluru in the southern state.

Of the 13 deceased, 10 hailed from Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu. These included four men and four women, apart from a four-year-old girl child and one-year-old toddler.

"They were on way to Bengaluru from Dharmasthla pilgrim town in the state's southwest Dakshina Kannada district, Krishna said.

The other three victims (all men) hailed from Bengaluru and were on way to Dharmasthala.

"Three persons, belonging to the two families from Krishnagiri, were injured. They were rushed to state-run hospital at Nelamangala between Tumakuru and Bengaluru for treatment," Krishna said.

A case of negligent driving causing death was registered against the owner of the compact SUV.