NEW DELHI (AP) — A bus collided head-on with a truck in southern India early Thursday, killing at least 19 people and injuring 23 others, police said.

The accident occurred near Avanashi, a town in Tamil Nadu state, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

The state-run bus was on its way to Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala state, from Bangalore in Karnataka state.

More than 110,000 people are killed every year in road accidents across India, according to police. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles.