28 killed as bus falls into gorge in northern India

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI

At least 28 people were killed when a bus rolled down into a deep gorge in northern Himachal Pradesh state on Thursday, according to a state official.

The bus carrying around 40 passengers was traveling from Kinnaur district to Solan district when the accident occurred near Rampur, around 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of New Delhi.

“Twenty-eight bodies have been recovered -- 18 men, 9 women and a child were killed in the accident,” Deputy Commissioner Shimla Rohan Chand Thakur told Anadolu Agency. “The injured have been admitted to different hospitals.”

It is believed a burst tire caused the accident and a magisterial-level inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the exact cause.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the incident.

“My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones in the tragic bus accident in Himachal Pradesh. May those injured recover quickly,” he tweeted.

Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi asked the Himachal Pradesh government to take immediate relief and rescue measures, according to a party statement. Congress is the ruling party in Himachal Pradesh state.