Bus plunges into ravine in India, 27 dead

At least 27 people died and 18 were injured Thursday when a bus plunged into a 400-foot-deep ravine in India, police said. Officials said the death toll from the accident was likely to grow. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus, en route from Thane to Ahmednagar, collided with a truck and went off the road, the Indo-Asian News Service reported. The bus was traveling along a road through the Malshej Ghats mountain pass. "The district headquarters got the message around 10.30 AM and a team comprising police personnel, medical attendants and rescue workers was rushed to the spot. The number of casualties is not known immediately as the spot of the mishap lies deep into the valley," said District Disaster Control Officer Jaideep Visave. The injured were taken to hospitals in Murbad and Tokawade, the Press Trust of India reported.