The bus was carrying nearly 50 students of JS Vidya School when it collided with a truck. (PHOTO: ANI)

At least 14 people, including 13 schoolchildren, were killed and several others injured when a bus collided with a truck in Uttar Pradesh's Etah today. The driver of the bus was also killed in the accident. Eyewitnesses said the accident took place due to poor visibility in the area.

According to reports, the bus was carrying nearly 50 students of JS Vidya School when it collided with a truck in Aliganj area of Etah district.The truck was being driven at a high speed when the two vehicles collided head-on.

The bus was so badly damaged in the accident that rescuers had to use gas cutters to pull out the bodies and injured kids. Total 66 people were travelling in the 42-seater bus. Some of the bodies could only be recognised using the school identity cards.

The impact of the accident was such that the truck fell off the road. (PHOTO: India Today) The impact of the accident was such that the truck fell off the road. (PHOTO: India Today)

Expressing pain over the accident and loss of young lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said," Anguished by the tragic accident in UP's Etah district. I share the pain of the bereaved families and condole passing away of young children."

"I pray that those injured in the accident in Etah recover at the earliest," he said.

Anguished by the tragic accident in UPs Etah district. I share the pain of the bereaved families & condole passing away of young children. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 19, 2017

In a separate incident, at least 20 people were injured and the driver of a bus was killed in an accident in Sitapur.

The bus, which was on its way from Dewaria to Delhi, fell into a gorge as the driver failed to negotiate a curve due to thick fog in the area.

Nearly 50 schoolchildren were in the bus when the accident took place. (PHOTO: ANI) Nearly 50 schoolchildren were in the bus when the accident took place. (PHOTO: ANI)

COLD WAVE, FOG GRIP UTTAR PRADESH

Entire Uttar Pradesh is reeling under intense cold wave conditions which has killed at least 28 people so far.

After reopening briefly for two days following an extended winter break, schools in state capital Lucknow have been closed again due to the cold wave.

The driver of the bus was also killed in the accident. (PHOTO: ANI) The driver of the bus was also killed in the accident. (PHOTO: ANI)

District Magistrate Satyendra Singh said the decision was taken after a sudden drop in the temperature and it will be reviewed again after two days.

Icy winds prevailed in the city and also in some parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The minimum temperature in the past 24-hours was 7.7 degrees Celsius while the maximum was 20.7 degrees Celsius.

The weather office attributed the sudden change in temperature to heavy snowfall in the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

The cold wave was likely to continue till January 22, the weather office said.

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