A total of 14 primary school children were killed as a school van fell into a canal early Friday morning in northeast Pakistan, reported local Urdu TV channel ARY.

The accident took place at about 6:30 a.m. local time when a Suzuki school van carrying 17 kids aged below 15 fell off a bridge into the Jhelum canal in the Ali Baig town on its way from Bhimber district to Mirpur district in Azad Jammu Kashmir.

Three kids and the driver survived by swimming to the shore themselves while the other 14 kids were drowned.

The rescue team have recovered seven bodies while the other seven are still missing nearly 12 hours after the tragedy.

The three kids who survived the accident said the driver was to blame as he was driving too fast.