Friday, January 20 2006 17:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jammu: At least 52 people were killed and 15 others injured, six of them seriously, when a bus in which they were travelling skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge near Sai Gaji shrine in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir today (Jan 20, 2006).

The overloaded bus, which was on its way from Darhal to Rajouri, fell into the 300-feet-deep gorge at Sai Gaji on the Darhal-Rajouri road, about 190 kms from here, while negotiating a curve at around 1030 hours, police said.

Fifty two bodies were recovered from the site of the accident, they said adding police and medical teams have rushed to the site for rescue operations.

The injured were rushed to the district hospital at Rajouri from where some of the seriously wounded were referred to Government medical college hospital here for specialised treatment.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Mangat Ram Sharma has expressed deep regrets over the accident and loss of such a large number of people. He asked civil administration to provide best medical aid to the injured.