At least five people were killed and 43 injured, six of them seriously, after a private bus skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh early on Wednesday, police said.
The accident occurred at Bohni village, about eight kms from Hamirpur, after the driver failed to negotiate a sharp turn following which the bus, which was on its way to Kangra from Sarkaghat in Mandi district fell into the gorge.
Sources said local people, who rushed to the site, immediately after the accident helped the police and home guard officials in pulling out the bodies from the mangled bus.
Hamirpur ADM, Hira Singh Thakur, told reporters the seriously injured had been referred to PGI at Chandigarh while the remaining were admitted to the district government hospital in Hamirpur.
He said the deceased were identified as Dewan Chand, Braham Jaswal, Bhekha Ram, Reeta Devi and Suloachana Devi.
The police had registered a case of rash and negligent driving against the bus driver.
