As per sources, the van was heading to school with 13 children and crossing a railway track; when suddenly a fast moving train crossed the track; leaving the van in a very bad state and killing the young children and their driver.
The families of the students were informed immediately after the incident.
Soon after the incident, CM Yogi Adityanath reached Kushinagar district hospital to meet the injured students and enquire about their health.
As per sources, the driver had worn earphones while driving the bus, which led to the massive accident as he could not hear the sound of the approaching train.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the accident and assured that the Uttar Pradesh government and Railway department will take appropriate action on it. "I am extremely saddened on hearing about the death of school students in a collision between a school van and a train in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar. The Uttar Pradesh government and railway dept will take appropriate action," Modi said while interacting with the Karnataka faction through the NaMo App.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu also took to his twitter account and expressed grief over the incident. He also condoled the families of the victims.
In a similar incident, a school bus collided with a truck in Delhi's Keshavpuram. The incident left 11 children injured. The cops reached the location and rushed all the injured students to a nearby hospital. The incident claimed the life of a 7-year-old girl, who succumbed to injuries in hospital. Two children are said to have suffered serious injuries.
More details on the same are awaited.