25 Dead After Bus Carrying Wedding Guests Plunged At Least 1600 Feet Into Gorge

At least 25 people in India died Tuesday after a bus carrying wedding guests plunged into a deep gorge.

The incident took place in the northern state of Uttarakhand. The police said the bus was traveling along a perilous mountain highway in the state when it careened over an edge and fell at least 1,640 feet. There were 45 people onboard the vehicle, NDTV reported.

"25 people were found dead in the Pauri Garhwal bus accident that took place last night in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot. Police and SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) rescued 21 people overnight; the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals," state police chief Ashok Kumar told news agency ANI.

The police carried out rescue operations late Tuesday night to find survivors, and the injured passengers were rushed to nearby hospitals.

"The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were mobilized for the accident spot. We are trying our best to take all the facilities to the accident spot. Local villagers are helping in the rescue operation," the state's chief minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said, according to the Hindustan Times.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to the incident, saying "all possible assistance" would be given to the survivors. He also called the accident "heart-rending."

"The bus accident in Pauri, Uttarakhand is heart-rending. In this tragic hour my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those who have been injured recover at the earliest. Rescue operations are underway. All possible assistance will be provided to those affected," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted, quoting Modi.

President Droupadi Murmu also took to Twitter on Wednesday to express condolences over the loss of lives in the latest tragedy.

"Saddened by many casualties when a bus fell into a valley in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this accident. I wish the injured a speedy recovery," the president tweeted in Hindi.

Fatal road accidents are common in Uttarakhand and the mountainous regions of India, especially in the Indian Himalayan route, which is home to numerous religious pilgrimage sites.

According to a World Bank report published last year, India accounts for 11% of the global road death toll. This number is so high despite the country having only 1% of the world's vehicles.

In June, nearly two dozen people traveling to a shrine in Uttarakhand state's city of Dehradun died when their bus plunged into a gorge.