26 killed in Uttaranchal bus accident

Lucknow: An overcrowded minibus packed with pilgrims plunged into a gorge in Uttaranchal on Saturday, killing 26 people and wounding eight, police said.

The bus went off the road and fell some 100 meters into the Bhagirathi River below, local Police Chief R S Meena said.

The bus was carrying pilgrims to Gangotri when the driver failed to negotiate a sharp turn and the vehicle fell in the gorge, senior police official Pramod Tamta said over the phone.

"The survivors say there was a loud sound before the driver lost control of the vehicle and it fell into the river," he added.

The accident took place near Uttarkashi, 400 kilometers northwest of Lucknow.