22 die as bus plunges down mountain in India

A passenger bus veered out of control and plunged down a mountain road today, killing at least 22 people and injuring 27 others, police said.

The bus was en route from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu-Kashmir, to the remote town of Sangaldan.

It crashed at Tattapani, some 102 miles north of Jammu, the state’s winter capital, said the area’s Superintendent of Police Garib Das.

Local residents were the first to reach the site, and had clambered down the hillside to try and pull out the bodies and any possible survivors, he said.

The total number of passengers in the bus was not known.

The accident site is located in a thickly wooded hilly area with narrow winding roads, steep hills and deep gorges and valleys. It overlooks the Chenab River.

Police rescuers were being rushed to the area, but they were likely to be delayed by the difficult terrain, Das said.

“We are still making all efforts. We are taking the help of the local army camp as well,” Das said.

Road accidents claim thousands of lives every year in India, blamed mostly on reckless driving, ageing vehicles and poor roads. Most passenger buses in far-flung areas are rickety and poorly maintained.