SHIMLA: At least 20 passengers died when the bus they were travelling in plunged into a gorge Thursday in northern India, a day after 37 people were killed in a similar accident in the same state.

Twelve others were injured when the bus fell into the ravine 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Himachal Pradesh state capital Shimla, police inspector Baldev Thakur told AFP by phone.

"At least 20 bodies have been retrieved from the accident site," Thakur said.
It was unclear how many people were aboard the bus but the United News of India put the number of passengers at 45 and said the vehicle fell 150 feet (46 metres) after skidding off the road.

On Wednesday, 37 people died when a truck jammed with 70 passengers tumbled into a gorge in another part of Himachal Pradesh.

The state is hilly with narrow, winding roads prone to landslides and accidents.
India has the highest annual road death toll in the world, according to the World Health Organization, with accidents caused by speeding, careless driving, poor roads, overcrowding and bad vehicle maintenance.

BDST: 1930 HRS, August 19, 2010