24 dead after dilapidated bus skids into deep gorge in northern India

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — A poorly maintained bus veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in the country’s north. India At least 24 people were killed and several others injured on Monday, officials said.

The accident took place 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 emergency workers were sent to the site and authorities said the death toll could rise as they work to rescue passengers who may still be trapped.

The state’s Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said teams are working to quickly evacuate the injured passengers to the nearest health center for treatment and authorities have been instructed to airlift the seriously injured.

The state government has opened an investigation into the accident, Pal said, adding that preliminary information suggested the dilapidated bus skidded before tumbling into a 200-foot-deep gorge. A number of passengers managed to escape or were thrown by the impact, and subsequently alerted authorities to the accident. He added that two transport officials have been suspended for approving a bus that was in poor condition.

India has one of the highest road fatality rates in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people killed and injured every year. Most accidents are attributed to reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and outdated vehicles.

In July, at least 18 people were killed after a double-decker passenger bus collided with a milk truck in the state of Uttar Pradesh. In May, a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims skidded into a deep gorge on a mountainous highway in Indian-controlled Kashmir. which killed at least 21 people.