Shimla, Aug 11 (IBNS): At least 52 people, including 18 women, were killed when an overcrowded bus skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district on Saturday, police said.
More than 40 people were also injured in the incident that happened when the bus driver lost control over the vehicle after a tyre burst and it fell into the 250-feet- deep gorge.
The bus was going from Dulera to Chamba town when the mishap occurred near Rajera.
The 42-seater bus was carrying more than 100 passengers and many of them were travelling on the roof of the vehicle when the tragedy struck, police said.
As many as 39 people, including the driver, died on the spot, while 13 succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
Most of the victims were from Chamba district, police said.
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal expressed grief over the accident and asked the local administration to give relief to the victims of the mishap.
The government announced a relief of Rs 1 lakh each for the family of the deceased and instituted a magisterial enquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident,
