Maihar (MP) | The death toll in the accident of a private bus in Madhya Pradesh's Maihar district has gone up to nine as three more persons succumbed to their injuries, police said on Sunday.

Nearly 20 persons was also injured after the bus rammed into a stationary stone-laden truck in Maihar at around 11 pm on Saturday, they said.

The accident took place on National Highway no. 30, about 25 km from the district headquarters, as per police.

The bus was heading for Nagpur via Rewa after starting from Prayagraj when it crashed near the Nadan Dehat police station, Maihar Superintendent of Police (SP) Sudhir Agrawal told PTI.

While six fatalities were reported earlier, three more persons succumbed to injuries in a hospital, taking the death toll to nine, he said.

The deceased, all male, included a four-year-old boy, the police said.

The injured persons have been admitted to different hospitals, including in Rewa, Agrawal said.

Initially it appears the bus was running at a high speed, he said.

Rescue teams had to use a gas cutter and an excavator machine to make way through the wrecked bus to pull out the passengers, he said.

The rescue operation was wrapped up at around 2 am on Sunday, according to police.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed sorrow over the tragedy.

"Nine deaths have been confirmed, while one passenger's condition was critical. I pray to almighty to heal the injured," he wrote in a post on X.

He said the district administration was instructed to provide treatment to the injured and extend financial help to family members of the deceased according to government rules.

Condoling the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the loss of lives in the Maihar tragedy was painful.

"My sympathies are with the grief-stricken family members of the deceased," he wrote on X.

Adityanath said he contacted the MP government for all possible help to the victims.