6 people were killed and at least 20 were injured after a private bus hit a stranded SUV, which caused them to fall off the Lucknow-Agra Expressway.

The incident happened on the Kannauj districts of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.

The accident happened at around 5:15 am.

The bus was coming from Darbhanga, Bihar, and was headed to New Delhi.

Amrendra PD Singh, the Superintendent of Police in Kannauj, said:

A private bus with around 40 passengers toppled down the highway after colliding with a stranded SUV. Five passengers were killed on the spot while another died minutes after reaching the hospital. Around 20 other passengers have also sustained injuries. They have been admitted to hospital.

Some of the injured are currently in critical condition.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the bus driver had failed to spot the SUV and rammed straight into it.

After hitting the vehicle, the bus driver lost control.

Locals called the authorities after the accident.

Authorities are now trying to identify the dead people.