Four children have died in the Netherlands after a crash involving an electric bike and a train, police said.

The crash happened at a railway crossing in the southern town of Oss at around 8:20am this morning.

The train is said to have hit an electric cargo bike which was being used to transport children from a daycare centre to local primary schools.

Two other people - a child and a woman - were critically injured in the crash.

Police said investigations are now underway into what caused the incident.

DutchNews.nl reports that the crossing in question has a designated bike path and is manned.

Local mayor Wobine Buijs-Glaudemans said she was shocked by the news, saying thoughts were with "all families, the school, the daycare centre and all other people involved".

Pier Eringa, CEO of the ProRail company, called it a 'black day', adding: "There are no words for this."