50 feared dead after floods wash bus away

Rains flooded roads in a southern Indian state, and the waters washed away a bus today, killing at least 18 people, an official said. Another 32 people were feared drowned, and the bus driver and conductor were arrested.

The bus driver defied a police order against trying to cross a bridge that had been flooded out in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu state, J. Rajendran, the district’s police chief said.