At least 14 people were killed and another four injured when a small private van carrying passengers collided head-on with a truck in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh early Sunday, a local police officer said.

Eight women are among the dead, and all the injured were children.

Police said the accident occurred near the Madarpuram village of the Kurnool district. The injured were sent to a government hospital.

According to the police, the passenger van hit the road divider at high speed, jumped over the divider and collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction on the other side of the road.

Following the collision, the van was run over by a truck and dragged for a few meters before coming to a halt, local media reported.