At least nine people were killed and more than 25 injured when an over speeding bus they were travelling in fell from a bridge into a river in Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district.
In another accident, 21 others were injured near Shimla when a bus fell into a gorge.
Police said nine persons were killed in an accident in Sirmaur district on Sunday when the driver of a speeding private bus lost control and broke the railing of the Jalal Bridge and fell into the river below, plunging from a height of 40 feet.
“Four passengers, including three women, died on the spot, while five critically-injured persons succumbed to their injuries in a hospital. Twenty-five people are under treatment in the Nahan medical college and Dadahu sub-divisional hospital,” said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Nahan, Virender Singh Thakur.
"The accident took place near Khadri village on the Renuka-Dadahu-Nahan road, about 168 km south of Shimla, around 4.30 pm," he said.
Thakur, who reached the spot and supervised the rescue operation, said prima facie the accident happened due to the negligence of the bus driver. According to eyewitnesses, the bus was speeding while crossing the bridge.
Most of the deceased are locals who are yet to be identified.
The other accident took place at the Kiari Nallah on the Solan-Shimla border. The bus plunged into a gorge, injuring 21 people.
The accident took place in the Kandaghat police station area on the Junga-Sadhupul road when the bus was returning to Delhi from a trip to Shimla and nearby tourist places, Police said.
Of the injured, 15, including the driver and the conductor, are being treated at a community health centre in Junga, whereas six people, whose condition was stated as critical, were referred to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) in Shimla, they added.