At least 40 people were killed when a bus crashed into a canal in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Tuesday.

Rescuers are still searching for survivors.

District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Choudhary said six people were rescued after the accident. The bus was designed to hold 34 passengers but was carrying more than 50 . 

Officials stopped the water supply to the canal to aid the rescue effort, while two cranes pulled the bus out, reports said. 

Local media reported the bus was completely submerged, and images showed officials in orange life jackets using rescue boats to look for survivors.

According to media reports, seven people, including the driver, managed to swim to safety. An initial investigation suggested the driver lost control of the bus, reports said. The bus then hit a bridge before crashing into the water.

Families to receive compensation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences to families of the victims and called the accident ''horrific.''

His office also tweeted that the families of those killed would receive 200,000 rupees ($2,750, €2,264) while those who were seriously injured would receive 50,000 rupees.

"The entire state is standing with those affected," Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in a video message.

India is known to have some of the world's deadliest roads, with over 150,000 people killed in accidents in 2019, according to a government report. 

Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.

lc/rt (AP, AFP)