NEW DELHI, May 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in a fatal bus accident in the Indian hilly state of Uttarakhand has risen to 24, a senior police official said Wednesday.
"We have recovered three more bodies from Bhagirathi river where the ill-fated bus fell late Tuesday evening after the driver lost control of the speeding vehicle in Dharasu town in the state's Uttarakasi district," he said.
The official added: "Three more persons are still missing and rescue operations are on to trace them. Eight injured people are currently undergoing treatment at various state-run hospitals, where the condition of two are said to be serious."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the tragic incident. Modi has also announced a compensation of 200,000 rupees (3,000 U.S. dollars) for the family of those killed in the accident.
The accident occurred around 6:00 p.m. local time Tuesday when the bus plunged into a deep gorge that flows into Bhagirathi river. It was carrying a group of pilgrims, mostly from the central state of Madhya Pradesh, who were returning to Rishikesh from Gangotri, a Hindu holy place.
The state is popular with religious tourists, attracting hundreds of thousands every year.
Madhya Pradesh's Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his counterpart in Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat, have both condoled the loss of lives and announced compensation for the family of those killed as well as the injured.
