At least 27 children and three adults have been killed in India after a school bus plunged some 200ft into a gorge.

Police said the vehicle skidded off a mountain road and fell into the foothills of the Himalayas.

At least a dozen people were also taken to hospital.

The accident occurred in the Kangra Valley in Himachal Pradesh, around 300 miles from New Delhi.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi offered his support to the families of the victims on social media. </s> 23 children die in India when school bus plunges into gorge

NURPUR, India (AP) — A school bus plunged off a mountain road Monday into a deep gorge in the Himalayan foothills, killing 23 children, some as young as 4, Indian officials said.

Four adults also died, said Sandeep Kumar, a local official. Ten children were hospitalized.

Initial reports indicated the bus driver was speeding as he took the children home and lost control at the edge of the gorge. The bus fell some 200 feet (60 meters) to the ground below, said police officer Sunil Kumar.

The adults killed included the bus driver, two teachers and another woman, officials said. Most of the children riding in the bus were believed to be in elementary school.

The crash occurred in the Kangra Valley, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of New Delhi.

The search for survivors ended late Monday night, with the bodies of the dead lying on the concrete floor of the Nurpur mortuary, covered by sheets.

India's roads, particularly in the hills, have long been feared for their deep potholes, reckless drivers and often a lack of guardrails. Fatal accidents are common.

"I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet. "My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones." </s> At least 21 children killed in India when school bus plunges into gorge in Himalayan foothills

NEW DELHI (AP) — At least 21 children killed in India when school bus plunges into gorge in Himalayan foothills. </s> At least 27 children, some as young as 4 years old, were killed Monday when their school bus skidded off a mountain road into a gorge in the foothills of the Himalayas, officials said.

Three adults were also killed in the crash, Himachal Pradesh state transport minister Govind Singh Takur told the Press Trust of India news agency. At least a dozen people were taken to area hospitals.

Initial reports indicated that the bus driver was speeding as he took the children home and lost control at the edge of the gorge, with the bus crashing some 200 feet to the ground below, said police officer Sunil Kumar.

News reports said most of the children riding in the bus were in elementary school.

The accident occurred in the Kangra Valley, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of New Delhi.

India's roads, particularly in the hills, have long been feared for their deep potholes, reckless drivers and, very often, a lack of guardrails. Fatal accidents are common.

"I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet. "My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones."

Rescuers were still digging through the wreckage after nightfall looking for more survivors, Kumar said. </s> NURPUR, India -- At least 23 children and four adults were killed in India when a school bus plunged into a deep gorge in the Himalayan foothills, authorities said Monday. Ten children were hospitalized with injuries.

Initial reports indicated the bus driver was speeding as he took the children home and lost control at the edge of the gorge. The bus fell about 200 feet, or 60 meters, to the ground below, said police officer Sunil Kumar.

The adults killed included the bus driver, two teachers and another woman, officials said. Most of the children, some as young as 4 years old, were believed to be in elementary school.

The crash occurred in the Kangra Valley about 300 miles, or 500 kilometers, north of New Delhi.

People helping to rescue injured after a private school bus falls into a deep gorge in Nurpur, India, on April 9, 2018. AFP/Getty Images

"We have identified all the children and parents have been informed about the disaster," police officer Ram Nath Singh told Reuters at the crash site.

The search for survivors ended late Monday night, with the bodies of the dead lying on the concrete floor of the Nurpur mortuary, covered by sheets.

India's roads, particularly in the hills, have long been feared for their deep potholes, reckless drivers and often a lack of guardrails. Fatal accidents are common.

"I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet. "My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones." </s> At least 27 Indian children were killed Monday when their speeding school bus plunged off a mountain road into the foothills of the Himalayas, according to reports.

The bus driver lost control near the edge of a 200-foot gorge in the Kangra Valley, roughly 300 miles north of New Delhi, police officer Sunil Kumar told NBC New York.

“I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones in the accident,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

A rescue operation to look for potential survivors among the kids — most of whom were under the age of 10 — will continue through Monday night, Kumar said.

“The bus rolled into a 200-foot-deep gorge, killing 27 schoolchildren, two teachers and the driver,” local police official Santosh Patyal said, according to BBC.

Few other details were immediately available Monday. </s> At least 23 children were killed when their school bus skidded off a mountain road into a gorge in the foothills of the Himalayas, officials have said.

Three adults were also killed in the crash, Himachal Pradesh state transport minister Govind Singh Takur told the Press Trust of India news agency.

At least a dozen people were taken to hospital.

Initial reports indicated that the bus driver was speeding and lost control at the edge of the gorge, with the bus crashing some 60 metres (200ft) to the ground below, said police officer Sunil Kumar.

File photo of a view of the Himalayas.

The accident occurred in the Kangra Valley, about 500 kilometres (300 miles) north of New Delhi.

India's roads, particularly in the hills, have long been feared for their deep potholes, reckless drivers and, very often, a lack of guardrails. Fatal accidents are common.

"I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet.

"My prayers and solidarity are with those who lost their near and dear ones."

Rescuers were still digging through the wreckage after nightfall looking for more survivors, Mr Kumar said. </s> Indian police say at least 21 children were killed when their school bus skidded off a mountain road and plunged into a gorge in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Police officer Sunil Kumar says initial reports indicate the bus driver was speeding and lost control at the edge of the gorge, dropping some 200 feet (60 meters) to the ground below.

The accident occurred Monday in the Kangra Valley, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) from New Delhi.

Kumar says a rescue operation is continuing after nightfall. Few other details are available. </s> At least 44 people were killed when a bus in India’s mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh plunged into a gorge on Thursday, officials said.

Another 28 were undergoing treatment, many of them for critical injuries, after the private vehicle veered off the road and fell into a 150-metre (500-foot) gorge near Banjar in Kullu district of the northern Himalayan state.

Officials had given an initial toll of at least 25 dead but later said 19 others succumbed to injuries.

Kullu police chief Shalini Agnihotri said the injured were taken to the nearest hospitals where they died during treatment. Many of the victims were women and children coming back from work and school, she said.

The bus was carrying more than 60 passengers, a large number of them on the roof, when it lost control at a sharp curve and rolled down the steep mountain before perching on the edge of a stream.

Pictures from the scene showed the mangled remains of the colourful bus on the rocky edge of the water as volunteers made human chains to help survivors cross it.

Agnihotri said an investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the crash.

The Himalayan state is prone to deadly accidents owing to its rugged terrain, with speeding and overcrowding adding to the safety hazards.

At least 15 people were killed in April after their bus fell into a gorge in a nearby district.

In India an average of 150,000 people
A school bus plunges into a gorge in the foothills of the Himalayas, in Himachal Pradesh, India, killing three adults and at least 27 children.