Bus Skids Off Mountain Road in India, Killing 25
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A passenger bus skidded off a mountain road and fell into a gorge in India's remote northeastern state of Meghalaya, killing at least 25 people, police said Wednesday.
Ten others were injured in the accident late Tuesday near Sonapur town, said top police officer Rajiv Mehta.
It was raining heavily and visibility was low when the night service bus veered off the road and fell into the 180-meter (600-foot) -deep gorge, Mehta said, AP reported.
Local villagers and police worked through the night to climb down into the gorge and pull the injured from the bus. Four bodies have been recovered.
World Health Organization (WHO) figures show India has the world's highest road death rate, with about 140,000 people dying each year in accidents commonly caused by speeding, overcrowding and poor vehicle and road maintenance.
