10 killed in Meghalaya bus accident

10 killed in Meghalaya bus accidentGuwahati, Dec 18 - At least 10 people were killed and more than 15 were missing after a passenger bus veered off the road and fell into a river early Friday in Meghalaya, police said.

A police spokesperson said the bus carrying about 40 people from Guwahati to Agartala, capital of Tripura, fell into river Lukha near Sonapur, about 120 km from Meghalaya capital Shillong.

"The accident occurred around 3.45 a. m. Rescue teams were able to recover 10 bodies so far from the river that runs about 200 metres below the highway," a Meghalaya police official said.

Rescue teams were looking for more bodies, but the rough terrain was making it difficult.

"About 12 to 15 people were shifted to local hospitals with minor to serious injuries. The hostile terrain is making it difficult to look for bodies that could be trapped," the official said.

"We really don't know the exact number of people travelling in the bus as people in this sector board vehicle along the way. But we estimate there could be about 40 people in all," another police official engaged in the rescue operations said over phone. (IANS)