Train hits school van at India crossing, killing 12 children

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — A train crashed into a school van at an unmanned railroad crossing in northern India on Thursday, killing 12 children, police said.

Top police officer O.P. Singh said the van driver also was killed.

Another 12 children were injured in the crash and taken to a hospital in Kushinagar, a town 200 kilometers (125 miles) southeast of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state.

The children were on their way to school when the train hit the van.

Shocked parents and relatives of the children rushed to the accident site and the hospital after hearing the news of the crash.

Accidents are common on India's railroad network, one of the world's largest with 23 million people riding daily on about 11,000 passenger trains.

Hundreds of crossings are unmanned, especially in rural areas. Poor finances limit efforts by rail authorities to staff the dangerous crossings around the clock.

Vehicle drivers often try to cross the unmanned rail track in a hurry, causing accidents.