A school bus collided with a truck laden with bricks in northern India on Monday, killing 12 children and their driver, police said.

The crash happened as the children were on their way to school on the outskirts of Jalandhar, said police officer Harmeet Singh. The city is nearly 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the Indian capital.

Singh said seven children and the bus driver died on the spot and another five children succumbed to their injuries in a hospital.

Police were looking for the truck driver, who fled after the accident, Singh said.

India has the world's deadliest roads, with more than 110,000 people killed every year. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.