NEW DELHI, APR 09 (DNA) – At least 23 children were killed when a school bus plunged off a mountain road in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh on Monday.

At least 23 children were killed and 11 others injured on Monday when the school bus they were travelling in fell into a gorge in India’s northern state of Himachal Pradesh, police said.

Four adults, including the driver of the bus, two school teachers and another female passenger, also died in the accident, which took place in the district of Kangra.

The bus belonging to a private school and carrying children aged between 6 and 11 skidded off the road and fell into a 91-metre gorge, district police chief Santosh Patial said.

“We have recovered the bodies in the rescue operations. Two teachers, the driver and a local woman who boarded the bus mid-journey were also killed in the crash,” Patial told.

Police and local volunteers have almost concluded the rescue work, but the death toll could still increase, Patial said.

Police have not confirmed what caused the accident to take place, but witnesses told local media that the driver lost control of the bus on a sharp curve, causing the vehicle to fall in the gorge.

State chief minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed condolences to the families of the victims and ordered a inquiry into the cause of the crash.

India has the highest number of traffic fatalities in the world. An average of 135,000 people die on the country’s roads each year, according to government data.

Many accidents are reported in mountainous regions like Himachal Pradesh and are usually caused by reckless driving, bad roads or the poor condition of vehicles.