Truck hits bus in India fog; 24 pupils die

LUCKNOW, India — A truck loaded with sand collided with a school bus early Thursday, killing at least 24 children in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

At least two dozen other children were injured when the speeding truck collided head- on with the bus, said Javeed Ahmed, the state’s top police official.

The children, between the ages of 3 and 14, were studying at a school in the town of Etah.

Another police officer, Daljeet Chaudhry, said visibility was low because of dense fog.

Police officer Parasuram Singh said the truck driver suffered serious leg injuries and they were amputated.

State education authorities had closed all schools in the district because of a severe cold wave, and Ahmed said authorities would check why the school had stayed open.