Kollam (Kerala) | Three members of a family, including two children, were killed when their sports utility vehicle (SUV) collided head-on with a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus at Ochira in this southern district on Thursday, police said here.

According to police, the family was returning home after seeing off a relative at Kochi airport when their vehicle collided with a KSRTC bus coming from Kollam en route to Cherthala, around 6.30 a.m. at Valiyakulangara, Ochira, on the National Highway stretch.

The deceased were identified as Prince Thomas, his son Athul, and daughter Alka, residents of Pipe Junction, Thevalkara in Kollam.

Three people are undergoing treatment at a private hospital, and their condition is said to be critical.

The impact of the collision left both vehicles badly mangled. Locals managed to cut open the doors of the SUV and rush the injured to hospital, but Prince and his children succumbed to their injuries.

Ochira police, citing CCTV footage from nearby shops, said Prince may have dozed off while driving and the SUV was speeding.

However, the exact cause will be confirmed after a detailed investigation, they said.