8 killed, 1 injured as vehicle falls into gorge in India

At least eight people were killed and one injured after a vehicle carrying them skidded off a mountainous road and fell into gorge early Friday in northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, police said.

The vehicle fell into gorge on Chandigarh-Manali highway in Swarghat area of Bilaspur district, about 108 km northwest of Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh.

"This morning a vehicle carrying nine people skidded off the road and fell into a gorge here, killing eight on spot and critically injuring one," a police official posted in Swarghat told Xinhua. "The bodies have been retrieved and sent for post-mortem."

According to police, the vehicle was carrying Hindu pilgrims who had gone to pay obeisance at a local temple.

The cause of accident was not immediately known.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)