Eight people were killed and 17 injured when a double-decker bus crashed into a water tanker in India.

The accident occurred when the bus, carrying around 50 passengers, collided with the tanker irrigating plants on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway on Friday afternoon, December 6.

Footage shows authorities inspecting the overturned vehicle in Uttar Pradesh.

Superintendent of Police in Kannauj, Amit Kumar Anand, said the crash happened around 2pm in the Sakrawa area, as the bus was traveling from Lucknow to Delhi.

Anand added: 'Teams from multiple police stations and ambulances were dispatched immediately. Eight people have been confirmed dead, and 17 injured individuals were sent to Saifai Medical University for treatment.'

The unharmed passengers were transferred to another vehicle and safely continued their journey.

A police officer said the bus driver allegedly lost control and hit the tanker from behind.

State Minister for Jal Shakti Swatantra Dev Singh, who was passing by, stopped his convoy to help rescue the injured and ensure they received medical care.

He also suggested that the bus driver's apparent drowsiness may have contributed to the crash, based on conversations with the injured passengers.

In a separate incident, 20 people were injured on September 30 when a bus lost control and collided with a canter truck on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway.

In Rajasthan, 12 passengers died, and over 40 were injured when a bus veered out of control and slammed into a culvert on October 29.

A state-run bus crashed into a parked coach in Telangana on November 2, injuring 30 passengers.

India has one of the highest rates of road accidents in the world, with thousands of fatalities and injuries reported each year.

The poor track record is blamed on unsafe road conditions, reckless driving, inadequate enforcement of traffic laws, and a lack of awareness about road safety.