The dead included seven children, four women and three men, Superintendent of Police M Tamilvanan said.
The children were aged between two and four years.
They were residents of nearby Kodi village and were returning home after a 'mundan' ritual held at Rajarappa temple in the district last night, the SP said.
The mishap occurred near Bhurkunda railway station of the East Central Railway (ECR), killing all the occupants of the SUV at the unmanned level crossing, he said.