(Photo: CGTN)

At least 15 children were injured, four seriously, after their school van fell off a bridge in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said Saturday.

The accident occurred in the Korba district, some 230 km from state capital Raipur.

"The van carrying the 15 school children skidded off the road and fell off the bridge onto a muddy field. All the school children have been hospitalized," a police official said.

"A probe has been ordered into the incident. The van driver has also been arrested and booked for rash and negligent driving," he said.

India has one of the highest numbers of road fatalities in the world. Road accidents occur mostly due to poor driving or badly maintained roads and vehicles.