No fewer than 36 people have reportedly died and 19 others have been injured in an accident after a bus plunged into a gorge in northern India’s Jammu district.
More than 50 passengers were on board when the bus went off the road and crashed into a 300-foot gorge, according to officials.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his sympathies and promised financial compensation to the families of the slain.
Images and videos from the accident site showed the damaged remnants of the bus lying near a hill as rescue workers searched for survivors.
Jitendra Singh, a federal minister, posted on X that officials were supplying “all possible help” to the injured, who have been moved to nearby hospitals.
Six of them are in critical condition, he added, adding that a helicopter service is being organized to transport others.
In India, road safety is infamously poor, with more than 100,000 people dying each year in crashes caused by poor driving and deteriorating roads.
Buses are a popular means of transportation, particularly in small communities. However, operators frequently disregard safety regulations and overcrowd them.
Last year, a bus carrying a wedding procession went off the road and crashed into a gorge in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, killing 25 people.
