Bus plunges down gorge in north India, killing 32

DHARMSALA, India — A crowded bus plunged down a steep mountain gorge in northern India on Friday, killing 32 people, a local official said.

At least 30 other people on the bus were injured in the accident near Baner Khud, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Dharmsala in India's Himachal Pradesh state, said Rakesh Mehra, a district official.

Villagers and police climbed down the gorge to the bus and helped rescue the injured passengers and retrieve the bodies of the dead, he said.

The Press Trust of India news agency said the accident occurred when the driver lost control of the bus while negotiating a turn and it fell down the 100-foot (30-meter) gorge.

PTI said six of the injured were in critical condition.

Accidents occur frequently on roads in the Himalayan foothills and are often blamed on reckless driving, aging vehicles and overloading.

___

Nov 06, 2009 - 07:12 a.m. EDT

Copyright 2009, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.