LUCKNOW, India, Nov 4, (AP): A bus veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in northern India on Monday, killing at least 24 people and injuring several, officials said. The accident took place in the Almora district of the mountainous state of Uttarakhand. The bus was carrying 42 people and 24 bodies were recovered, said Vineet Pal, a state government official.

Rescue teams were dispatched to the scene, and authorities said the death toll could rise as they worked to rescue passengers who may still be trapped inside. State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said teams were working to quickly evacuate the injured passengers to the nearest health center for treatment and authorities had been instructed to airlift the seriously injured.

A preliminary investigation suggested that the bus, which was in a dilapidated condition, skidded before plunging into a 60-meter (200-foot) deep gorge, Pal said. A number of passengers managed to escape or were thrown out by the impact and then alerted the authorities about the accident. India has some of the highest death rates in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people killed and injured annually.

Most accidents are attributed to imprudent driving, poorly maintained roads and outdated vehicles. In July, at least 18 people died after a double-decker passenger bus collided with a milk truck in Uttar Pradesh state. In May, a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims skidded and rolled down a deep gorge on a mountainous highway in Indian-controlled Kashmir, killing at least 21 people.