At least 17 people were killed and over 30 others injured in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri district on Wednesday, police said.

The accident took place near the Etawah cut on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway when the driver of the private double-decker bus apparently dozed off, causing the to overturn and hit the divider.

District administration officials told that five of the injured were in critical condition.

The bus was from Rajasthan's Jaipur city, was headed to Chhibramau in Kannauj district.

Most of the passengers were daily wagers working in Jaipur. They were heading home for the Eid festival, the police added.

The bus was packed beyond capacity and some passengers were also sitting on its roof.