Seven people were killed and another one was injured on Wednesday when the SUV they were travelling in crashed into a roadside tree near Satara on Mumbai-Bangalore highway in Maharashtra, police said.

As per preliminary information, the deceased hailed from Dharwad in Karnataka who were headed towards an airport either in Pune or Mumbai.

"The accident occurred close to Kashil village near Satara at around 12.45 am on Wednesday. All the seven deceased seemed to be from a single family. However, we are trying to establish their identities," said an official from Borgaon police station in Satara district, around 115 kms from Pune.

Prima facie, the accident occurred as the driver of the SUV lost his control over the vehicle which veered off the road and crashed into a roadside tree, he said.