Hilla: A cargo train crashed into a large family car and killed 12 people, including 10 children, near the central Iraqi city of Hilla on Sunday, a medical official said on Monday.

The official said six girls and four boys were killed, along with the male driver and a woman passenger. Most of the children were aged between 11 and 12 years old, he said.

Police earlier reported 13 people were killed, including 12 children.

The car was crushed by the train as it attempted to cross a rail crossing in the small town of Sayahiyya, north of Hilla.

A police official said a manhunt has been launched to find the train driver who had fled the scene of the accident.