Nine people were killed Tuesday after a vehicle they were traveling in skidded off road and fell into a deep gorge in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.
The accident took place near Chhatroo pass in Sinthan Top area of the mountainous Kishtwar district, about 127 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
The deceased, including two doctors, were employees of the local government's Animal and Sheep Husbandry department.
"Today in a tragic road accident in Chhatroo nine employees of Animal and Sheep Husbandry department were killed when the sumo vehicle carrying them fell into a deep gorge," said the police, adding that the bodies have been retrieved from the gorge.
The cause of deadly accident is being ascertained, the police said, but preliminary investigations suggested that the driver lost control over the vehicle while negotiating curve on the hilly road.
The sumo vehicle has a seating capacity for nine passengers, but for hilly areas only seven passengers are allowed.
Deadly road accidents are common in this mountainous region, often caused by overloading, bad road condition and reckless driving.