Eighteen workers who were sleeping on the highway were killed in the collision

Police said on Wednesday that 18 workers who were sleeping on the highway after a bus broke down in northern India were killed in a collision with a lorry.

At least 19 people have been injured in a tragedy in Uttar Pradesh, a local police official told reporters.

Most of the workers returned home in the western state of Bihar after completing their employment contract.

The passengers got off the bus while the drive shaft was broken and they were sleeping near the vehicle.

Rescuers had to retrieve some of the bodies trapped under the double decker bus.

“The district administration and the police have opened an investigation and we are ensuring that the injured get better medical treatment,” police official Satya Narayan Sabath said.

India’s vast road network is poorly maintained and is known for its dangers.

According to official figures, about 150,000 people die in road accidents in the country every year. The main causes of accidents are not wearing a seat belt or helmet.