6 killed as bus falls into 500-ft deep gorge in Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district

Udhagamandalam: Six passengers were killed and 28 others injured when a bus fell into a 500-feet deep gorge near here in the hilly Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu on Thursday, police said.

The driver of the state-run transport corporation bus was trying to avoid a pit on the ghat road when the mishap occurred at Mandada, about 10 km from here.

Six people, including two women, were killed on the spot, police said adding 28 people were injured, some of them seriously, police said.

Personnel of the Fire and Rescue force, police and state disaster management agency rescued the injured.

Of them, ninteen people had been taken to the government hospital in neighbouring Coimbatore while others admitted to the government hospital here.

The bus was proceeding to nearby Coonoor from here.

Several parts of the Nilgiris district have been receiving heavy rains for the past few days.