A severely overcrowded bus veered off a highway overpass, plunging into a steep gorge.

The bus was transporting Hindu pilgrims heading to a holy shrine situated in Kashmir under Indian jurisdiction.

The devastating incident occurred when the bus, traveling from the city of Amritsar in Punjab to Katra, plunged off a highway bridge into a Himalayan gorge. At least 10 individuals lost their lives, and another 57 were injured, as confirmed by Indian authorities. Approximately 75 people were on the bus.

Overcrowding is suspected to have caused the bus to lose control near Jammu City, according to local law enforcement. Most of the victims were from Bihar state in eastern India, with many believed to be from the same family; hiring the bus for a tonsuring ceremony for two children. After the accident was reported, local residents and officials mobilized a rescue operation, and the injured were conveyed to nearby hospitals.

The Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, a significant Hindu religious site, draws hundreds of thousands of worshippers each year. This tragic accident has deeply affected the pilgrimage community and highlighted the persistent problem of road safety in India.

India remains a country with one of the highest road casualty rates worldwide, recording numerous fatalities and injuries annually. Contributing factors to these distressing statistics often include reckless driving behavior, inadequate road upkeep, and a substantial number of aging vehicles on the roads.