20 dead as truck plunges into gorge in India

A truck carrying Hindu pilgrims has plunged into a gorge in a mountainous region in northern India, killing at least 20 people as rescuers searched for another seven who were missing.

The devotees were on their way to Gangotri, a town in Uttrakhand state, to collect water from the Ganges River for a Hindu ritual when the vehicle drove off the road, official Amit Chandola said.

Police recovered 20 bodies from the 650ft deep gorge and were searching for another seven missing people, Mr Chandola said.

Reckless driving appeared to be the cause of the accident near Gangotri, 370 miles southwest of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, he said.