At least 12 children died in a crash between a school bus and a truck in northern India on Thursday. The driver of the bus was reportedly also killed, while the driver of the truck sustained serious injuries.

An official inquiry has been ordered. "We are yet to determine the exact cause of the accident, but visibility was poor due to a dense fog in the morning. That may have caused the accident," local deputy police chief Bisarjan Singh Yadav said.

Visibility on the road was low due to fog when the collision happened. Authorities suspect that at least one of the vehicles was speeding. The bus carried dozens of children on their way to a private school in the Etah district in Uttar Pradesh, a state located a few hours southeast of New Delhi.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on Twitter.

India has one of the highest numbers of fatal traffic accidents worldwide due to poorly maintained roads and vehicles, as well as hazardous driving habits. Some 146,000 people were killed in road accidents in 2015, according to data from the highways ministry, which amounts to 400 deaths per day.

mb/rc (AFP, AP, dpa)