Officials in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand said on Monday that at least 36 people had died and many others were injured after a bus fell into a gorge.

At least 42 passengers were thought to be on board the bus that had departed from Garhwal in the north en route to Ramnagar.

The accident occurred in the mountainous Almora district. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said teams of rescue workers had been dispatched to the site.

Victims' families to receive compensation

Vineet Pal, a state government official, said that an official investigation had been launched into the incident, but preliminary reports suggested that the bus had been old and dilapidated.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his "deepest condolences" for the families of those affected by the accident. Modi’s office said the victims’ families would receive 200,000 rupees ($2,380, €2,184) in support.

Road accidents are common along the mountain roads in the Himalayan region, often caused by the inherently dangerous conditions, poor maintenance or reckless driving.

es, ftm/wd (Reuters, AFP)