10 die as bus plunges into Karnataka lake

"The incident occurred around 10 am when a crowded state-run bus skidded and plunged into the Vishnu Samudra lake..." said state Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ramachandra Rao.

Hassan is about 200 km from Bangalore. Quoting a witness, Rao said about 50-60 passengers were travelling in the ill-fated bus.

The driver tried to avoid colliding with an oncoming vehicle and swerved to the left, crashed into the bridge railings, and skidded into the lake filled to the brim with rain water.

"Attempting to avoid a head-on collision, the driver swung the bus to extreme left, lost balance and plunged into the lake. The toll could rise as there were many youth in the bus," Rao said.u00a0