At least 13 killed in road accidents in India

NEW DELHI, July 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 people, including five women and four children, died and a few others were injured in two separate road accidents in India during the past few hours, confirmed official sources on Tuesday.

In the first mishap, seven people died when a passenger bus plunged into a canal in the country's southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Monday night. There were around 40 people in the ill-fated bus, which was returning from a wedding in the state's Prakasam district.

Among the dead were three women and one child.

Over-speeding was said to be the cause of the accident. According to local police, the bus missed a turn near the canal, collided with the sidewall, lost control, and plunged into the canal. Those who could bring themselves out of the canal were safe. Around 15 people who sustained injuries were admitted to a local hospital, said the police, adding that some of the victims were severely injured.

Meanwhile, six people died in another accident near Delhi on the Ghaziabad-Meerut highway when a school bus coming on the wrong side collided head-on with a car coming in high speed from the opposite direction.

Among the dead were two women and three children, said the police.

According to official figures, around 150,000 people die in road accidents in India annually. Most of these fatal accidents occur due to drunken driving and reckless driving, including driving on the wrong side of the road.