At least nine school children died and 14 injured while crossing the road after school was over in Muzaffarpur district of north Bihar.

Among the injured admitted in Sri Krishna Memorial College and Hospital (SKMCH), the condition of four students is said to be serious.

“So far, nine deaths have been confirmed,” a senior police official of Muzaffarpur said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed deep sorrow over the death of school children and announced ₹4 lakh compensation to the family members of all those students killed in the accident.

Police officials said, the students of Dharampur government middle school under Minapur block of Muzaffarpur were crossing road on National Highway 77 when a speeding SUV crushed them leaving as many as nine students dead.

The 14 injured students were admitted to the SMCH where condition of four of them are said to be critical. The school is located along with the NH-77.

The driver of the SUV, however, fled from the scene after abandoning the vehicle.