At least 25 people died and several others were injured early on Monday when a bus fell into the Chenab river in India`s northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, local media reported.

The bus with 40 passengers traveling in the southern Kistwar district skidded off the road near Bandarkot village, some 240 km from Jammu.

Twenty-one bodies have been pulled from the river. Four people who were seriously injured died later in hospital, and another five remain in critical condition, samaylive.com reported.

Poor road conditions, aging vehicles and reckless driving are the leading causes of road deaths in India. In late February, a bus carrying dozens of passengers plunged into a river in Jammu and Kashmir, killing 34 people.
sections: Accidents, World News