As many as 18 passengers were killed and 26 others injured when a private bus veered off the road and plunged into the Baspa river near Sangla valley in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday.
The site of the accident, about 230 km from the State capital, lies in the tough terrain of the tribal district of Kinnaur bordering China.
So far, 14 bodies have been retrieved, while all the injured have been taken to Sangla and Rekong Peo hospitals. Three critically injured have been referred to the State hospital IGMC at Shimla, the police said.
The ill-fated private bus, coming from Sangla valley to the district headquarters at Rekong Peo, was carrying about 43 passengers.
Some of the bodies are still believed to be trapped in the wreckage, said Rahul Nag, SP Kinnaur. The bodies of the dead, mainly locals, have been handed over to the relatives after autopsy, he said.
Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur, D.D. Sharma said the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.
Road accidents are common in Himachal Pradesh due to hilly terrain and insufficient infrastructure. More than 1000 people are killed in road accidents every year in the hill State.
