At least 16 Hindu pilgrims were killed and 27 others injured Sunday after a bus carrying them skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The accident took place in Ramban district, about 107 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"This afternoon a pilgrim bus skidded off the road and fell into Nashrana Nallah on Srinagar Jammu highway," a police spokesman said. "At least 16 pilgrims were killed on spot, while 19 are seriously injured and eight others have suffered minor injuries."

Following the accident police and locals rushed to the spot to carry out rescue work and retrieve bodies.

"The critical ones have been airlifted to Jammu, while as others with minor injuries have been referred to the nearest hospitals."

The annual pilgrimage to Hindi shrine of Amarnath began on June 29. More than 100,000 pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the cave shrine perched high in the Himalayas.

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

source: xinhua