35 dead as bus plunges into gorge in Kashmir

At least 35 people were killed yesterday when an overcrowded bus plunged into a gorge in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said.

It was the second deadly crash in less than a week in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, renowned for its mountainous terrain and abysmal road safety record. The bus skidded off a road in the remote Kishtwar region and fell into a deep, narrow valley, senior police official M. K. Sinha said.

Thirty-five people died in the accident and 17 were injured, local official Angrez Singh Rana said. Seven of the injured were in critical condition and were evacuated to a nearby hospital, he said.