At least seven schoolchildren were killed when a bus hit their van at Birsinghpur in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district on Thursday, PTI reported. As many as eight children were injured.

The driver of the van also died in the accident, Satna district Superintendent of Police Satosh Gaur said. The children were students of Lucky Convent School in Birsinghpur municipality.

Satna Collector Rahul Jain, along with senior police and local government officials, went to the spot to take stock of the matter.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan offered his condolences to the families of the deceased in a tweet. “I pay tribute to the children injured in the accident,” he added. “The administration has issued the necessary guidelines. Pray to God to provide peace to the departed souls.”