40 die as bus falls into Himachal gorge

Shimla, Aug 11 (IANS) At least 40 people were killed and 17 injured Saturday when an overcrowded bus rolled down into a deep gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district, police said.

The private bus was going to Chamba town when it skidded off the road and fell into the 300-feet deep gorge near Rajera, some 10 km from the town.

"The rescue operation is still on. The injured have been admitted to hospital in Chamba," Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Sharma told IANS on the phone from the accident spot.

Rescue workers said 32 people died on the spot while eight died while being taken to hospital.

Witnesses said the bus was overcrowded and the driver probably lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a turn. Most of the victims were from Chamba district.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and leader of opposition Vidya Stokes expressed grief over the accident.

The spot of the accident is around 475 km from here. Chamba is one of remotest places in the state and scarcity and low frequency of passenger buses in the district leads to overcrowding of the vehicles.