At least 21 people have been killed and dozens more injured after an overcrowded passenger bus skidded off a mountain road and plunged into a gorge in the Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, a region in India's far north administered jointly by India and Pakistan but disputed between them. The accident occurred at around 8:30am local time on Monday near Kanote village.
The 42-seater bus was carrying more than 60 passengers — well over its stated capacity — on a route from the town of Ramnagar to the city of Udhampur when it struck an autorickshaw while navigating a sharp curve in the Himalayan terrain. The collision sent the bus veering off the road and tumbling roughly 30 metres down a steep, rocky slope into the gorge below. Nineteen passengers died at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital. Around 45 people were injured, some in critical condition, and are being treated across several local health facilities. Most fatalities are attributed to severe head trauma and internal bleeding. The bus was reported to be nearly completely destroyed, making rescue efforts difficult for emergency workers at the scene.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on social media and announced financial relief for those affected. Families of the deceased are set to receive the equivalent of approximately €1,800, while injured survivors will each receive around €455 in compensation. "I extend my heartfelt condolences to those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," Modi wrote on X.
The crash is a grim reminder of India's persistently dangerous roads. The country records some of the highest road traffic death rates in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people killed or injured every year. Authorities and safety experts regularly point to a combination of reckless driving, poorly maintained road infrastructure, and ageing vehicles as the primary causes. Mountain roads in Kashmir and the broader Himalayan region present additional hazards, with narrow, winding routes and sharp drops that leave little margin for error. Overcrowding of public transport — as seen in Monday's crash — remains a widespread and largely unaddressed problem across many parts of India.