New Delhi - At least 22 people were killed Friday when a passenger bus fell into a gorge in India's mountainous northern state of Himachal Pradesh, news reports said.

The bus skidded off a highway and plunged into a 30-metre gorge in Kangra district, some 250 kilometres north-west of state capital Shimla, the PTI news agency reported.

District police chief Atul Pulzele told state-run news channel Doordarshan that 18 of the passengers were killed on the spot, while four died on the way to hospital. Five children were among the victims.

Forty-eight other passengers injured in the crash were moved to local hospitals.

Officials said the death toll could rise further.

Witnesses said the accident occurred when the bus driver lost control over the vehicle.

India accounts for 10 per cent of the 1.2 million fatal road accidents recorded worldwide each year.

Many accidents are reported from mountainous regions like Himachal Pradesh and are usually caused by reckless driving, bad roads or the poor condition of vehicles. (IANS)