Eight children, teacher killed as bus falls into Indian river

New Delhi  - Eight schoolchildren and a teacher were killed and 33 others injured when their bus fell into a river in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, news reports said Monday.

The children were all primary school students from Ratlam district in Madhya Pradesh, the IANS news agency reported.

The students were returning from a daylong school trip Sunday when the bus fell into the Kshipra River near Mahidpur, about 250 kilometres north-west of Madhya Pradesh's capital, Bhopal, officials said Monday.

"All the passengers have been taken out," a local government official said. "In total, 34 children, four teachers, the driver and the cleaner were in the bus."

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced 50,000 rupees (1,076 dollars) as compensation to the families of the victims.  (dpa)