6 schoolchildren, bus driver die in road accident in India 6 schoolchildren, bus driver die in road accident in India

NEW DELHI -- Six schoolchildren and their bus driver were killed as the vehicle rolled down a gorge on a hilly road in northern India, police said.

Another 12 children were hospitalized with injuries after the school bus skidded off the road in Himachal Pradesh state on Saturday, said police officer Rohit Malpani.

Malpani said three students aged 5 to 14 and the driver died on the spot. Three students died later in a hospital.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

Around 150,000 people die every year on India's roads, often because of reckless driving, badly maintained roads and vehicles overcrowded with passengers.

In September, 55 people were killed when a bus carrying pilgrims from a Hindu temple in the hills of south India plunged off a road.