by Robin Gericke, Executive Editor
A school bus skidded off the road and into a gorge at the bottom of the Himalayas on Monday, according to TIME. Reports state that the bus driver was speeding and lost control, said police officer Sunil Kumar. The bus plummeted about 300 feet into the gorge and killed at least 23 children, two staff members, the bus driver and another woman. CNN reported that search and rescue operations found 11 children who were taken to two hospitals. Two of them were in critical condition.
According to Santosh Patial, superintendent of police, the bus was taking children home around 4 p.m. in the Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. The school children who died were between 4 and 12 years old, said Patial.
“I am deeply anguished by the loss of lives,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet. “My prayers and solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones.”
Because of poor infrastructure and lenient safety measures in India, bus accidents occur regularly. The roads in the hills of India are known for potholes, lack of guardrails and reckless drivers. In 2017, 15 students died after their school bus collided with a truck.
CNN reports that the state government said families of the deceased each will receive 5 lakh Indian rupees ($7,700 US).
