Bus falls into deep gorge in northern India, 16 dead

A passenger bus has slipped off a mountain road and fallen into a deep gorge in northern India, killing 16 people, including schoolchildren.

The bus driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle near a hairpin bend and the vehicle rolled down the steep hillside.

There were around 20 people on the bus, according to local officials.

Ashutosh Garg, a senior administrator for the Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh state, told Press Trust of India that survivors were pulled out of the wreckage by rescue workers and taken to the hospital.

Photos shared on social media showed responders trying to rescue survivors from the mangled hulk of the yellow bus.

The exact cause of the crash was not immediately known.

In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families, Mr Modi wrote on Twitter.

The Indian government pledged to provide 200,000 rupees $3,700 to loved ones bereaved by the accident, and 50,000 rupees $924 to help those who were injured.

Deadly road accidents in India are caused by reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles.

More than 110,000 people are killed every year in road accidents in India, according to the police.