At least 22 pilgrims, including women and children, were killed on Thursday when a bus carrying them plunged into a 150-ft deep gorge near Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir.

The incident also left 57 people injured, Jammu’s District Magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya said.

“The bus was carrying passengers from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh when it skidded off the road near Tanda in Akhnoor. Rescue operations are underway,” he said.

The condition of some of the injured is critical, officials said.

An injured person said the bus driver lost control over the vehicle and it tossed into the gorge breaking trees on the roadside.

The pilgrims were headed towards Shiv Khori shrine in Reasi district.

“Several passengers were buried under the wreckage of the overloaded bus and efforts are being made to rescue them. Among the deceased, only Dharampati (42), wife of Radhey Shyam of Aligarh, has been identified,” a senior police official said.

Bodies of 10 men, nine women, and two children are yet to be identified, police said.

Residents of the nearby village were first to reach the spot. Troops of the White Knight Corps of the Indian Army and police personnel are engaged in the rescue operations.

The injured were initially rushed to a hospital at Akhnoor from where most of them were shifted to the Government Medical College at Jammu for treatment.

Transport Commissioner Rajinder Singh Tara reached the accident spot and said that papers of the bus were in order. Prima facie, it appears that the driver might have lost control over the vehicle resulting in the mishap, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Rs 2 lakh ex gratia would be given to the kin of the deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000 each.

He wrote on X, “Anguished by the loss of lives due to a bus mishap in Akhnoor. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover soon.”

Expressing grief over the incident, President Droupadi Murmu said, “Pained beyond words to learn about the loss of lives in a bus accident in Akhnoor near Jammu. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I wish speedy recovery to the injured.”

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the administration is providing all possible assistance to the bereaved families and is also extending medical facilities to the injured. He has also announced an assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 for those injured.

Meanwhile, the Jammu administration has notified helpline numbers for assistance regarding the accident. These numbers are: DM Office 9622699666, 9419160547; SP Office 9419172197, 9419194102, 9596869639; Medical 9419190500, 9419190493.