The cause of the accident, in which many people were also injured, was not immediately clear.

"It was gatekeeper's fault as the train was approaching and the bus driver apparently could not see the train due to dense fog" the channel quoted a senior local police official as saying.

However, railway officials blame the bus driver, saying that the crossing gate was closed. Eyewitnesses also confirmed this version, saying that the bus driver was in a hurry, and had made the gatekeeper lift the barriers.

"The bus driver had nearly managed to get past the gate as he had got a part of it already opened," an eyewitness was quoted as saying. "The train arrived just when the gate was being fully opened for the bus to pass through."