41 dead as Indian bus plunges in gorge

ISLAMABAD—In India, as many as 41 people were killed and two others seriously injured when a bus plunged into a deep gorge in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand today. SDM Joshimath Nidhi Yadav said the accident occurred about 1600 hrs at Vishnuprayag, ten km from Joshimath, when the bus coming from Badrinath on its way to Rishikesh fell into a 50-metre-deep gorge on the bank of river Alaknanda, UNI reported. In all, 44 people, including the driver, were aboard the bus when the accident happened. One passenger is still missing. A rescue and search operation is being carried out by the Army and police. Those who were injured seriously were admitted to Joshimath Hospital.—Agencies