7 killed, 20 injured in bus accident in central India

At least seven people were killed and more than 20 others injured on Sunday after a passenger bus skidded off the road and overturned in central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, police said.

The accident took place at Banjari Ghat of Bilaspur district, about 150 km east of Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

"Today a private bus carrying some 35 passengers overturned in Pendra tehsil of Bilaspur district, killing seven people and injuring 20 others," a police official said. "The injured were immediately removed to Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences in Bilaspur."

Reports said after the bus overturned, it was stopped by a tree from falling into a gorge.

Local media quoted injured passengers as saying that the driver and conductor of the bus were heavily drunk.

"Based on accounts of the passengers the bus overturned after the driver lost control over it," police said.

The ill-fated bus, according to police, was coming from Allahabad to Bilaspur.

Deadly road accidents are common in India often due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving.

source: Xinhua