Sixteen passengers, including schoolchildren, were killed after a bus fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu this morning. Visuals showed the heavily damaged vehicle.

Kullu Deputy Commissioner Ashutosh Garg said the bus, headed to Sainj, fell into the gorge near Jangla village around 8.30 am. District officials and rescue teams have reached the spot, he said, adding that the injured were being rushed to a nearby hospital. 

At least 40 students were in the bus when the accident took place, the officials said.

The Prime Minister's office has tweeted that the families of those killed in the accident would receive a compensation of ₹ 2 lakh each.

The bus accident in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh is heart-rending. In this tragic hour my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 4, 2022