27 students among 30 dead after school bus falls into gorge in Himachal

Kangra: 27 students were among the 30 killed when a school bus fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district.

"Thirty, including 27 children, die as school bus falls into gorge in Kangra district," Himachal Transport Minister Govind Singh Thakur told news agency PTI.

According to reports, the driver lost control on a sharp curve due to which the bus slipped into the gorge and came to rest in the middle of the hillside.

Some children are still trapped inside the mangled bus, news agency IANS reported.

The students are from Wazir Ram Singh Pathania Memorial Public School. Many of the students in the bus were in Class 5 and below, IANS reported.

According to news agency ANI, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has announced Rs 5 lakh each for the family of the accident victims.

"Rescue operation underway with the help of locals. I've ordered for magisterial probe," the Chief Minister added.

(With inputs from agencies)