1st LD Writethru: Bus-truck collision in India's Tamil Nadu kills 13

At least 13 people were killed and 32 others injured, some of them critically, on Saturday after a speeding cement laden truck collided head on with a passenger bus in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, officials said.

The accident took place near Tirumangalam in Madurai district, around 500 km southwest of Chennai city, the capital of Tamil Nadu.

"Today in a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a truck, 13 people were killed and 32 others were injured," Veera Raghava Rao, district collector Madurai told Xinhua over telephone.

"The bodies have been retrieved from the damaged bus and the injured have been removed to different hospitals."

Following the accident, locals rushed to the spot to carry injured to hospitals, besides informing police and administration.

According to Rao, the bus belonging to Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation was carrying 45 passengers, when it met the accident.

The cause of accident was not immediately known.

Officials said they have ordered an inquiry into the accident.

"We have just finished rescue work and now we will try to find out the reason that led to this tragic accident," Rao said.

On Friday evening, 42 people were killed and more than 20 others injured after a bus plunged into river in western state of Gujarat.

Deadly road accidents often caused due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving are common in India.

Last month, nine people were killed and two others injured critically after a speeding coal laden truck collided head-on with a passenger van in India's Odhisa state.

Global Road Safety Report 2015 released by WHO last year said India accounts for more than 200,000 deaths annually due to road accidents. Endit