At least two people were killed and eight children were injured after a car rammed into a group of schoolchildren in the western Japanese prefecture of Kyoto on Monday morning, local press reported.

The accident happened at around 8 a.m. local time on a local road in Kameoka City of the prefecture, when an 18-year-old man drove a light vehicle on the sidewalk and hit the children walking in a group on their way to an elementary school, the report said.

After the crash, rescue teams carried a total of 10 injured people to hospitals. But doctors later confirmed two of them, a 7- year-old girl and a 26-year-old pregnant woman, dead. And other two of the injured, aged 6 and 8 years are still in critical condition.

At the time of the accident, the woman guided the children's group to their school located about 200 meters apart from the crash site.

After the accident, the driver was arrested on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in injuries. Police also said he had no driving license and was in the car with two other people.

A further investigation into the exact cause of the accident is under way.