Kashmir bus accident leaves 44 dead
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-30 14:57

A bus accident in India's portion of Kashmir has left 44 people dead and 42 others injured, police said Friday.

The heavily overcrowded bus veered out of control on Thursday and plunged down a mountain road near the town of Tattapani, a town 100 miles north of Jammu, winter capital of Jammu-Kashmir state, Inspector General of Police S.P. Vaid.

Police, soldiers and villagers searched the thickly wooded hill terrain through the night, pulling out more bodies to reach a total of 44, said Vaid. Another 42 passengers were injured, some seriously, he said.

The accident took place in a densely forested area with narrow winding roads, steep hills and deep gorges overlooking the Chenab River.

The bus was en route from Srinagar to the town of Sangaldan. Although the bus had only 40 seats, it was carrying nearly 90 passengers, police said.

Road accidents claim thousands of lives every year in India, blamed mostly on reckless driving, aging vehicles and poor roads. Many buses are often overcrowded.

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