Shimla:
Three pilgrims, including two women, were killed and 29 others injured in Himachal Pradesh yesterday when their overloaded vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a 150-metre-deep gorge, police said.
The accident occurred at Tirmath near Bholag village in Chuwari subdivision of Chamba district, around 450 km from the state capital Shimla.
The vehicle was on its way from Bharadi to Bholag. The passengers were going to attend a religious function at Bholag, Superintendent of Police BM Sharma told reporters in Chamba.
"Prima facie overloading was the cause of accident," he said.
The injured have been admitted to civil hospitals in Chamba and Dalhousie towns.
Chamba is one of remotest places in the state and scarcity and low frequency of passenger buses in the district leads to overcrowding of other vehicles used for commuting.