2 Russian tourists dead, 8 injured in India bus crash: Police

2 Russian tourists dead, 8 injured in India bus crash: Police

DEHRADUN, India - A bus carrying Russian tourists plunged into a river in northern India on Tuesday, killing at least two and injuring eight, a local official said.

The bus was travelling to Gangotri, source of the Ganges, in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand when it veered off the road and into the river below, police superintendent Jagat Ram Jyoti said.

"There were 14 Russian tourists in the bus," he said. "Two of them died at the spot, their bodies have been recovered."

Another Russian was missing and the driver's status was unknown, he added, with a search ongoing for the bus in the water. Eight others had been taken to a hospital in the state capital Dehradun, while another three were unharmed, he said.

District magistrate Sridhar Babu Adanky blamed "bad road conditions" for the accident which occurred close to remote Harsil village, some 245km from Dehradun.

Mr Adanky confirmed rescue operations were under way for those still missing.

The Himalayan region with steep gorges and mountains was devastated last year by floods and landslides triggered by early monsoon rains, leaving some 5,500 people dead or missing.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.