Over 25 killed as bus plunges down Kashmir gorge

Jammu: More than 25 people were killed when an overcrowded bus veered off a mountain road in Kashmir and fell down a deep gorge into the River Chenab, police said on Friday.

The driver lost control of the bus carrying passengers near Ponga Marh, 220 km east of Jammu.

"Surprisingly, three gravely wounded people managed to wriggle out of the mangled vehicle and swim to safety", a witness said.

Rescuers struggled with the rocky terrain to bring the wounded to hospital. Police did not have details about how many people were in the bus.

Buses in Kashmir are often overcrowded and accidents on narrow mountain roads are common.