At least 37 people were killed and 18 were injured on Wednesday after a bus slid off a Himalayan highway into another road in Indian-controlled Kashmir, the Associated Press reported.
One police officer told the Associated Press that the bus had been overcrowded and was speeding when the incident occurred. However, a formal investigation is ongoing, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Car Falls Onto Atlanta Highway From Elevated Ramp Killing 5 Teens, Injuring 3)
At least 30 people were killed in India-administered Kashmir when a passenger bus skidded off a mountainous road and plunged into a deep gorgehttps://t.co/NIRj2Tu3zb
— TRT World (@trtworld) November 15, 2023
“The bus accident in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir is distressing. My condolences to the families who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest,” Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi tweeted. “An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF [Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund] would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured.” The money donated equals about $2400 per deceased, and $600 for those injured, the AP reported.
The bus accident in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir is distressing. My condolences to the families who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest.
An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. Rs.…
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 15, 2023
The injured have been transported to a hospital in the Indian-controlled Kashmir region, the Associated Press reported. India has some of the highest incidents of road deaths in the world, the outlet noted.
The Himalayas are a particularly steep and mountainous region in Asia. The region is also home to the largest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, Encyclopedia Britannica noted.