Three persons were killed and at least 26 others injured after a lorry hit a bus with several passengers on board in West Bengal's Howrah district on Thursday, police said.

The accident occurred in the Bagnan area around 7.30 am when the collision took place between the bus and the goods vehicle, a senior officer said.

The bus was heading towards Shyambazar in north Kolkata from Bagnan when the accident took place, he said.

"The accident occurred when the bus was trying to cross the National Highway 16. The visibility might be less due to heavy rainfall at that time," the police officer said.

The lorry was heading towards Kolaghat and hit the passenger vehicle after violating traffic signals, he added.

"Twenty-nine injured people were taken to a hospital, where three succumbed to their injuries. Some of them were discharged after initial treatment," he said.

State Minister Arup Roy and MLA Arunabha Sen reached the accident site to oversee the rescue operation.

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