School bus and train crash kills 17 children in India

Seventeen school children and two others were killed after a train rammed into their bus at an unmanned railway track crossing in India's newly-created southern state of Telangana on Thursday morning, Indian media reported.

The driver of the school bus was allegedly talking on his mobile phone and failed to see the speeding train. The driver, who was hired temporarily by the private school, was also killed.

The train, travelling from Nanded in western state of Maharashtra to Hyderabad, dragged the ill-fated bus about a kilometer on the tracks.

At least 40 children below the age of 11 were on the bus at the time of the accident in Medak district, 70 km from Hyderabad city, the state capital.

Police officials told reporters that 16 children were injured and that they were admitted to a nearby hospital.

Rescue teams rushed to the accident site, pulling out bodies from mangled remains of the bus.

Parents and relatives were seen sitting near the accident spot in a deep state of shock, mourning the death of children.

TV images showed schoolbags, books, water bottles scattered all over the place.

The tragic accident sent shockwaves throughout the country as many protested and vent out their anger on social media, complaining what they term as a classic case of "negligence" on the part of Indian Railways. Federal Railways Minister Sadananda Gowda faced strong protest in Indian parliament.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed "deepest condolences" to the families of those who lost their children. Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhara Rao has ordered an inquiry into the accident.

According to a government safety panel, 15,000 people are killed annually on India's railway tracks, one of the widest networks in the world.

The tragic accident came two weeks after India's new government unveiled federal budget in which super-fast "bullet" trains are promised.