10 killed in Himachal Pradesh as bus falls into gorge

Shimla  :  At least 10 passengers were killed and several injured when a private bus skided off the road and fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district on Saturday evening, police said.

The bus was on its way from Pathankot in Punjab to Dalhousie in the hill state.

The accident occurred in the Nainikhad area near Banikhet in Dalhousie subdivision, Chamba Superintendent of Police Monica Bhutunguru told reporters in Chamba city, some 350 km from the state headquarters.

Most of the injured were admitted to Chamba's Regional Hospital.

The driver probably lost control over the vehicle at a hairpin bend and fell into the gorge, an eyewitness told the police.

The administration had a tough time in extracting the victims from the bus, though villagers had started the rescue operation before the authorities reached the spot.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has expressed grief over the accident.