KHANEWAL At least 12 people including 11 children were killed and 20 others sustained injuries when a train slammed into a van carrying schoolchildren in Mian Channu on Wednesday morning. The crash took place at an unmanned railway crossing with no barrier at Musa Virk railway station near Mian Channu, which was enveloped in fog at the time. The Lahore-bound Jaffer Express collided with a private school van carrying 35 children. Resultantly, seven children and the van driver died on the spot. A large number of people, Rescue teams and police officials reached the spot and shifted the bodies and injured children to Mian Channu THQ Hospital. Emergency was declared in Mian Channu THQ Hospital and Khanewal DHQ Hospital. Hospital sources told The Nation that total 24 children were brought to THQ Hospital Mina Channu out of whom seven were received as dead while four other kids could not survive due to extensive bleeding. The killed children were aged between eight to ten years old. They said 7 critically injured children were referred to Multan Nishtar Hospital where another kid expired. After the incident, the enraged people took out a protest demonstration and blocked railway track at Musa Virk railway crossing. Relatives of dead children came out of their homes and blocked railway track and road going to Multan. The protestors chanted slogans against DPO Khanewal Kamran Khan, DCO Qazi Ishfaq Sarwar and EDO Health Khanewal Syed Tariq Gillani when they reached the place after two hours of the accident. They also expressed anger over the late arrival of Rescue teams. Agencies add: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed deep grief and concern over the tragic train accident and ordered an inquiry into the incident. The Prime Minister also directed Pakistan Railways to ensure proper vigilance at their unmanned crossings, particularly during times of fog to ensure public safety. The Punjab government has announced compensation of Rs200,000 for heirs of each child who lost life in the tragic incident and Rs50,000 each for the injured. While Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has also expressed grief over the death of innocent children and ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident. Railway Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour expressing grief over the incident said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident and the responsible persons would be taken to task.