NEW DELHI: Over 20 people including 15 school children were killed and 40 injured as a school bus was hit by a truck on Thursday in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh.

The accident took place in Aliganj town where a private school bus collided head-on with a speeding truck. 36 among the 50 injured are stated to be critical, sources said.

According to sources, more than 50 school children were travelling when the bus met with an accident. The victims were in the age group of 10-15 years. The cause of the accident is believed to be thick fog in the morning. 

According to eyewitnesses, it took an hour to take out the bodies from the mangled school bus. The victims were identified as students of J S Public school, Aliganj.

UP DGP Javeed Ahmad said, “School was open against the order of district administration to close schools due to cold".

The driver of the school bus also died on the spot, while the truck driver, who was injured, has been admitted in the hospital.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has expressed anguish at the death of the children, and asked all district officials to go to the spot and ensure that the best possible medical care is given to the injured children.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the death of school children in the accident.

"Anguished by tragic accident in UP’s Etah. I share the pain of the bereaved families and condole passing away of young children. I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest," ANI quoted PM Modi as saying.

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.