Delhi , India ( CNN ) -- At least 12 schoolchildren were killed when their bus collided head-on with a truck in northern India Monday . The wreck , which left 10 others injured , occurred in Jalandhar district , Punjab state , police superintendent Yurinder Singh Hayer told CNN . The driver of the school bus was also killed in the crash , which happened at around 8 a.m. local time , according to police . Hayer said the bus had some two dozen schoolchildren on board . Police have launched an investigation into the incident . India has an appalling record when it comes to road traffic deaths . In 2011 , more than 142,000 people were killed in about 490,000 road crashes , according to the country 's transport and highways ministry . This equates to almost one accident per minute and one death every four minutes on India roads -- making it a bigger killer than HIV/AIDS and other diseases , according to the World Health Organization . During a recent road safety campaign , the ministry said many of these incidents were due to drink driving , a scourge it said needed to eliminated by spreading awareness and stringent enforcement measures . It added that state governments have been requested to remove liquor shops from the side of highways . Experts warn the Indian government has much to do in the fight to control the number of road deaths and encouraged it to draw on the experiences of others . `` Countries which have made progress have done so with political will at the highest levels of government and a sustained focus on what works , '' Dr. Etienne Krug , director of violence and injury prevention at the WHO , told the Times of India in December . `` Measures include identifying a lead agency for road safety ; developing a comprehensive road safety strategy ; and implementing concrete measures related to roads , vehicles and people 's behavior . `` Responding to emergencies following a crash and ensuring justice for victims and their families are also key . ''
Deadly wreck injures 10 in Punjab state . The bus driver was also killed in morning crash . Score: 6