Bus Plummets off Remote Cliff, Killing at Least 36 of 54 Passengers

At least 36 people died after a passenger bus plummeted more than 300 feet off a remote cliff in India.

An investigation into the cause of the crash that also left 19 others injured is underway, but police suspect the bus — reportedly designed to accommodate up to 42 passengers — was overcrowded and speeding, when it veered off the road into Kashmir, The Standard reported.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi called the mass casualty incident “distressing."

"My condolences to the families who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest,” he wrote, according to a post on X.

Modi announced next of kin of the deceased would be paid an equivalent of $2,000, while families of those injured would receive an equivalent of $600, provided by the Indian government. 

Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh announced on social media, “All possible help [is]being provided. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families.”

Six people suffered serious injuries. All victims were airlifted to District Hospital Kishtwar and GMC Doda.