Thirteen children on their way to school were killed on Thursday when a train rammed into their van at an unmanned railway crossing in Kushinagar, leaving blood-splattered bodies, water bottles and school bags strewn around.

Five others were injured as the Thawe-Kapatanganj passenger train hit the van carrying 25 people, mostly children from Divine Public School, at 7 am. Local people who rushed to the level crossing gate at Behpurva, saw bodies of children, aged between 8 and 10 lying about.

The level crossing was described as ‘unmanned’, with no barrier to stop road traffic. Some eyewitnesses said the driver, who is among the injured, tried to speed across the level crossing even when onlookers drew his attention to the approaching train. One eyewitness said that the van then got stuck in the middle of the rail tracks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed “deep pained” over the accident. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who reached the spot faced protests from the local people. An angry crowd raised slogans against railway and local authorities. Some protesters squatted on the tracks demanding railway personnel be posted at the unmanned crossing to avoid such accidents.

The train was on way to Gorakhpur from Siwan. Gate 45 near Dudhi station falls in Railway’s Varanasi division. The CM told reporters that the driver appeared to be at fault. “He is said to have earphones on... all facts will be known in the inquiry headed by the Gorakhpur Commissioner,” he said. An ex-gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh has been announced for the families of the victims. The Railways also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh.

Police has registered cases against the school principal and he was being questioned.