22 die in Himachal bus accident

Shimla: At least 22 people were killed and 14 injured when an overloaded private bus fell into the Gobind Sagar reservoir in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district Wednesday, officials said.

As many as "22 people were killed and 14 were injured", Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar told IANS over phone.

The exact number of passengers travelling in the bus was not yet clear.

Divers of the Bhakra Beas Management Authority (BBMB) have been summoned for the rescue operation in the reservoir, he added.

The accident spot is some 90 km from the state capital.

The bus was on its way from Rishikesh to Bilaspur town, both located in Bilaspur district, when it met with an accident near Rayian village.

Witnesses said rescue workers had a tough time retrieving the bus from the reservoir.

Most of the victims were locals.