Six children dead after French bus crash

PARIS, France (CNN) -- A regional train in southeastern France crashed into a school bus killing six children in the Haute-Savoie department Monday morning, said regional authorities in Annecy.

At least 12 others were injured and four were severely injured. Some people on the train were also hurt.

The bus was carrying 50 children and six adults, including five parents. The bus was transporting the children from College ge Margencel as part of a history class field trip to visit medieval sites, said Patrick Bermond, the school principal in an interview with the radio network France Info. The children were from a town called Margencel.

The Transportation Minister Dominique Bussereau, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and the director of French railways were traveling to the crash site to inspect what happened.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy said it is too soon to know what caused the accident but that "each of us has a thought for the children, the adults, the victims, since the education community is now gathering."

"We cannot do anything but hope that there will be the least victims possible," Sarkozy said.

The accident occurred in the village of Mesinges in the French Alps and there were that the location made it difficult to evacuate the injured. The train came from Avalon and was on its way to Thonon-les-Bains.