Thirteen die as mini bus plunges over 300 feet in India

At least 13 people have been killed after a mini bus plunged into a deep gorge in northern India.

The accident took place at Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar area on early Friday, NDTV reports.  

The mini bus was on its way to Kishtwar from the Keshwan area when the driver lost its control. The vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into the over-300-foot gorge near the Chenab river bed in Dandaran area. 

So far, 13 persons are confirmed dead and 13 others injured," Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar Rajinder Gupta, who is leading the rescue operation, told PTI.

The bus was carrying over 30 passengers, Mr Gupta said, adding that the rescue operation was launched immediately after the accident.

Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Angrez Singh Rana said the district administration was making efforts to airlift eight critically-injured passengers to Jammu. "The next of the kin of the deceased will be given an ex-gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh each, while Rs 50,000 will be given to each of the injured persons," Mr Rana said.

People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti shared her condolences on micro-blogging site Twitter.

This is the third major accident in Kishtwar district in the last one month.

While 13 Machail Yatra devotees were killed when their cab plunged into a gorge on August 21, seven persons were killed and 12 others injured when two vehicles were hit by boulders a day earlier.