NEW DELHI, July 16 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people have been killed and three others injured in a collision between two cars in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, police said Monday.

The accident occurred near Lonavala on the old Pune-Mumbai Highway early Sunday evening.

"One of the cars hit the other one after jumping over the median on to the other side of the carriageway of the highway. This was after the driver of the first car suddenly lost control of the vehicle following a tyre burst at high speed," a police official said.

While seven people died on the spot of the collision, the injured have been admitted to a government hospital by police, he said.

The victims included occupants of both the vehicles, he added.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, the official said.

India has the highest number of road fatalities in the world. Road accidents occur mostly due to poor driving or badly maintained roads or vehicles.