Seven students were dead after an auto in which they were travelling was hit by a truck near Korar village in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh. Four students and the auto driver were injured in the incident and are being treated at a hospital in Korar, ANI quoted IG Bastar P Sundarraj as saying.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has expressed grief over the accident and said the government would extend full medical support to those injured.
"All possible help is being given by the Health Department. May God give courage to the family of the deceased. The administration has been instructed to provide all possible help," Baghel tweeted.
The incident happened after the school students were returning home in the auto. A speeding truck rammed the auto from the front near Chilhati Chowk, causing the three-wheeler to fly and break into pieces. Visuals from the site showed the auto in a mangled mess.
All children are aged between 5 to 8 years.
Last month, 24 school children were injured after four buses collided with three other vehicles in Delhi. There were more than 200 children in the buses which were on their way to the Delhi Zoo and Akshardham temple for a school outing. Police said the buses "accidentally collided" with an autorickshaw, a bike and a car near the Salimgarh flyover.
A video that went viral on social media showed students escaping by jumping out of the buses through the windows while onlookers gave them a helping hand.
The accident led to a huge traffic jam in the area. The impact of the accident was such that all the buses, car and the autorickshaw involved were damaged, PTI reported.
Police investigation revealed that the driver of the last of the four buses was allegedly driving in a negligent manner and rammed into another bus, which further led to other vehicles colliding into each other.