Dozens killed as bus loses control, skids off Himalayan road in India and plunges into deep gorge

New Delhi — At least 36 people were killed and six others injured Monday when a bus lost control on a hilly road in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand and plunged into a gorge. The bus was built to carry 42 passengers but senior state official Deepak Rawat told The Associated Press it was packed with about 60 people at the time of the crash.

The bus was traveling from Garhwal to the tourist town of Ramnagar when it veered off the road, officials said.

Almora district officials launched a rescue operation and the casualties were transferred to regional hospitals.

The Uttarakhand Police shared a video clip of rescuers working around the overturned bus, which was left lying beside a river at the base of a steep hill, almost 200 feet below the road.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a social media post that an investigation would be launched into the cause of the incident. Vineet Pal, another state official, said preliminary information suggested the bus was poorly maintained and that it skidded before tumbling into the gorge.

The AP quoted Pal as saying two transport officials had been suspended for certifying the bus despite its poor condition.

Dhami also announced state government compensation of 400,000 Indian rupees ($4,750) for the families of those killed in the crash, and 100,000 rupees ($1,190) for those injured.

Dhami said emergency crews were “working swiftly to evacuate the injured and take them to the nearest health center for treatment. Instructions have also been given to airlift the seriously injured passengers if required.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences for the families of the victims. He announced separate compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,378) for the families of those killed and 50,000 rupees ($594) for those injured.

Road accidents are common in India’s hilly Himalayan districts, where buses are the primary mode of public transport. About 160,000 people are killed in road accidents in India every year — the highest toll in the world — mainly due to reckless driving and poorly maintained roads and vehicles.

At least 18 people were killed in July when a double-decker passenger bus collided with a milk truck in Uttar Pradesh state, and before that, a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims skidded and rolled into a deep gorge on a mountain highway in Indian-controlled Kashmir in May, killing at least 21 people.