Vaishno Devi: 10 pilgrims dead as bus falls into gorge

Ten people were killed and 57 others were injured on Tuesday morning when a bus carrying pilgrims to the shrine of Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra from Amritsar fell into a gorge. The police said the accident took place in the Jhajjar Kotli area when the driver lost control due to brake failure. The bus was reportedly carrying more passengers than permitted.

Four critically injured passengers have been shifted to the Government Medical College in Jammu. Meanwhile, Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chandan Kohli said, "The rescue operation is almost complete and an SDRF team is also present on the spot." Reportedly, one died on the way to the hospital while two succumbed after being admitted. The incident took place around 5:30am.

The bus was reportedly carrying 75 passengers, all of whom hailed from Bihar's Lakhisarai and Begusarai districts, except for two people who belonged to Uttar Pradesh but worked in Bihar. After the brakes failed, the driver tried to stop the bus by crashing it into a truck parked on the roadside. However, he couldn't control it, and it veered off the bridge.