24 dead in India after bus skids into deep gorge
A bus veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in northern India on Monday, killing at least 24 people and injuring several others, officials said.
The accident occurred in Almora district in the mountainous state of Uttarakhand. The bus was carrying 42 people and 24 bodies have been recovered, said Vineet Pal, a state government official.
Teams of rescue and relief workers were deployed to the site and authorities said the death toll may rise as they work to rescue passengers who may still be trapped inside.
The state’s chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said the teams are working to quickly evacuate the injured passengers to the nearest health centre for treatment and that authorities have been instructed to airlift those seriously hurt.
A preliminary investigation suggested that the bus, which was reportedly in a dilapidated condition, skidded before tumbling down a gorge 60 metres (200 feet) deep, Pal said.
A number of passengers managed to escape or were thrown out by the impact, and then alerted authorities about the accident.