By IANS,
Jammu : At least 36 people were feared killed when the bus they were travelling in fell into Barah Nullah, a tributary of the Chenab river, in Jammu and Kashmir Thursday afternoon. Four passengers were rescued while the police recovered 26 bodies.
The four injured passengers were taken to the Kishtwar district hospital. The remaining passengers were feared to have been swept downstream and rescuers were giving up the hope of any more survivors.
The private bus from Kishtwar, carrying at least 40 people, was on its way to Jammu when it rolled down a gorge after barely covering the first 10 km of its 210 km journey.
The rescue teams had to battle a treacherous terrain and fast currents to reach the bus, which had been swept downstream.
The cause of the accident was not so far known.
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, currently touring Karnataka, expressed his grief and sorrow over the loss of life and also voiced concern over the recurring road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir.
He asked the authorities to reach out to the families of the victims.