Twelve Indonesian children have died after a suspension bridge collapsed as they were taking part in a traditional ceremony to dispel bad luck, a local official said.

The accident took place in a remote village in Aceh.

"There were about 37 kids gathered together on a wire-cable suspension bridge when it collapsed and they fell into a river," district chief Ibnu Hasyim said.

Twenty-five children were rescued with minor injuries but 12 others - all below the age of 12 - were swept away in strong currents.

The children were watching a ritual ceremony to dispel misfortune after a measles outbreak in the area.

The adults were throwing offerings in the form of chickens into the river when the bridge collapsed, the official said.

-AFP