14 people died after a lorry collided with a bus carrying a team of young hockey players in Central Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed on Saturday.

The remaining 14 people on board were all sent to hospital, police said.

Three people are in critical condition after the accident at around 5 pm on Friday (2300 GMT Friday) in the central province of Saskatchewan, near the town of Tisdale.

Police did not release the identities of those killed.

The players from the Humboldt Broncos team, who would have been mostly between the ages of 18 and 21, were on their way to a game.

The team spoke of an “incredible tragedy’’ in a statement.

“Our Broncos family is in shock as we try to come to grips with our incredible loss,’’ read a statement by group president Kevin Garinger.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau extended his condolences.

“I cannot imagine what these parents are going through, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy, in the Humboldt community and beyond,’’ Trudeau wrote in a tweet. (dpa/NAN)