27 killed after bus falls into gorge in India

At least 27 people were killed and 13 others injured after a bus carrying members of an opera troupe fell into a gorge in eastern Indian state of Odhisa, officials said Monday.

The accident took place on Sunday evening in Deogarh district, about 264 km northwest of Bhubaneswar city, the capital of Odisha.

"Last evening 27 persons, including women and children, were killed after a bus carrying around 40 members of an opera troupe fell off a hill in Deogarh district," a police official said. " The bus skidded off Gayal Ghat and nosedived into 200-feet ravine."

The local opera party was returning after a performance in Dengurjhar village, officials said.

A senior police official posted at Deogarh told media 27 bodies were recovered from the accident site.

The state's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the accident and directed officials to provide free medical aid to the injured.

The cause of the accident was being investigated, police said.

Deadly road accidents in India are often caused by overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving.

Global Road Safety Report - 2015 released by WHO last year said India accounts for more than 200,000 deaths annually due to road accidents.

Source: XINHUA