At least 12 children were killed when their school bus collided with a truck in India's northern state of Punjab early Monday, police said.
The bus driver was also killed in the accident in the Nakodar town near Jalandhar city. Twelve children were injured.
"Seven students died on the spot while five more died in hospital later," Nakodar police official Harmeet Singh Hundal said by phone. "The bus crashed head on with the truck."
Most of the victims were aged between 6 and 10 years. The death toll could rise with two children in critical condition.
India has one of the highest rates of traffic fatalities in the world. Government data shows about 120,000 people are killed in road crashes each year. Most are caused by reckless driving, bad roads or the poor condition of vehicles.