Indian bus plunges over mountain road killing scores

Dozens of people have been killed in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh after a bus plunged over the edge of a mountain road.

The Indian bus fell into a gorge in a mountainous region.

The Indian bus fell into a gorge in a mountainous region. Source: AP

At least 44 people were killed and 35 injured after a bus plunged off a road in India's hilly northern state of Himachal Pradesh.

The private bus filled with more than 60 people, reportedly included some of them sitting on the roof.

It fell into a 150-metre (500-foot) deep gorge in Kullu district of the Himalayan state. 

Senior civil servant in Kullu district Akshay Sood said around 78-80 people were on board.

All passengers on the bus had now been rescued and accounted for, and the injured people were being administered medication, Sood said.

Crowds gather near the crash site of the Indian bus in a mountainous region of Himachal Pradesh state.
Crowds gather near the crash site of the Indian bus in a mountainous region of Himachal Pradesh state. Source: AP


He added that the death toll could still rise.

Indian roads are among the world's deadliest, with nearly 148,000 people killed in more than 460,000 accidents in 2017, according to government data.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his dismay over the accident.

"Deeply saddened by the bus accident in Kullu. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. I hope the injured recover soon," Modi's office said in a tweet.

Kullu police chief Shalini Agnihotri told AFP that authorities launched a rescue operation immediately and moved the injured to hospitals.

She said the toll could rise further. 

People carried the injured on their backs from the crash site.
People carried the injured on their backs from the crash site. Source: AP


Local media showed the mangled remains of the bus near a stream at the bottom of the gorge as locals made human chains to help survivors cross it.

The Himalayan state is prone to deadly accidents owing to its rugged terrain, with speeding and over-crowding adding to the safety hazards. 

In India an average of 150,000 people die in road accidents each year.


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Source: AAP, AFP, SBS


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