18 killed, 23 injured as bus falls into gorge in J&K

Eighteen people were on Monday killed and 23 others injured, nine of them seriously, when a bus rolled down into a deep gorge on Jammu-Doda-Batote highway at Assar, 145 km from here.

The bus, which was on its way from Doda to Jammu, fell into the gorge on the banks of river Chenab when the newly constructed road caved in, police said.

Eighteen persons have died and 23 injured, nine of them critical, they said, adding that injured have been shifted to district hospital in Doda.

An IAF chopper is being sent to Assar to airlift the critically injured and flew them to GMC hospital here for specialised medical treatment, they said.

The police and security forces have launched a rescue operation, they said adding that death toll is likely to go up.