A tempo traveller, which was carrying pilgirms to Vaishnodevi Cave shrine, collided with an oil tanker coming from Srinagar on the highway at Nagrota, they said.
In the collision, three pilgrims died and 10 others were injured, he said.
Two of the dead are residents of Chattisgarh and one is from Rajasthan, he said adding that further details are awaited.