The number of children died when a tempo they were traveling in fell into a canal in the eastern on Tuesday morning has reached 13, District Police Office (DPO) confirmed.

"A total of 13 dead bodies of the children have been discovered from the accident site after a tempo carrying them fell into Chatara water canal at Jhumka area of Sunsari district, some 400 km east of Kathmandu," DPO, the local police office, said in a press statement.

A total of six children died on the spot, while seven others were missing after the accident, the statement noted, adding, " Other nine children were injured in the accident and rescued by the local people."

The injured are undergoing treatment in B.P. Koirala Health Institute at Dharan city of the district. "The condition of the children is serious," the statement quoted the hospital source as saying.

The tempo, belonging to a private Moonlight Boarding School, was carrying children from Bharaul town of the district to the school located near the accident site, the statement noted.

All the children traveling in the tempo were between the age of five and 13 and were students of the school, the statement revealed.

The tempo, carrying a total of 27 children, overturned and fell into the canal because of over-load, the statement added.

Source: Xinhua