India school bus crash kills at least 15 children

NEW DELHI:

At least 15 children were killed and dozens more injured when a school bus collided with a truck in northern India on Thursday, police said.

The driver of the bus also died in the crash, the latest deadly accident in a country with one of the worst road safety records in the world.

Khuzdar accident: Two dead in highway crash

Javeed Ahmed, director general of police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh where the crash occurred, informed on Twitter.

Tragic road accident in Aliganj Etah. Over 15 school kids feared dead. Rescue of injured ongoing.

— Javeed (@javeedipsup) January 19, 2017

Police in Etah district subsequently confirmed via Twitter.

15 बच्चों की मौतों की आधिकारिक पुष्टि की गई है , जो बढ़कर 20 तक हो सकती है

— Etah Police (@Etahpolice) January 19, 2017

लगभग 35 बच्चे घायल हैं

— Etah Police (@Etahpolice) January 19, 2017

It is not yet clear what had caused the vehicles to crash, although collisions are a common occurrence on winter mornings, when northern India is frequently blanketed with thick fog.

Road accidents killed nearly 150,000 people in India last year, around 400 a day, according to the data from ministry of road transport and highways.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences to the victims' families.

Anguished by the tragic accident in UP’s Etah district. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole passing away of young children.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2017

I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2017