At least 16 killed as bus falls into gorge in Himachal

A private bus fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Monday, leaving 16 people, including some school children, dead, a senior official said.

Kullu Deputy Commissioner Ashutosh Garg said the Sainj bound bus fell into the gorge near Jangla village at around 8.30 am.

District officials and rescue teams have reached the spot, he said, adding the injured were being taken to a nearby hospital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives while Rs. 50,000 each to injured.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the administration has reached the spot and the injured been rushed to a nearby hospital.