Passenger bus plunges from Himalayan road into deep gorge in Kashmir, killing 14

SRINAGAR, India – An overcrowded minibus fell from a Himalayan mountain road and plunged into a deep gorge in the disputed region of Kashmir on Tuesday, killing 14 passengers and leaving another 18 injured, police said.

The driver of the 24-seat bus lost control while going around a curve in the road in the Udhampur area of the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, according to Police Inspector-General Danish Rana.

The bus fell at least 50 metres (164 feet) to the bottom of the mountain gorge, Rana said.

Aside from the 14 people killed, another 18 were hospitalized with injuries.

Bus accidents are relatively common in India, due to overcrowding, badly maintained roads and aged vehicles. Some 240,000 people die in road accidents every year in the country, according to the transportation ministry’s last assessment in 2013.

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