India bus plunge leaves 21 pilgrims dead

At least 21 pilgrims have died and seven are injured after a bus they were travelling in fell into a gorge in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.

The accident took place in Dharasu town on Tuesday evening, when the driver lost control over the bus.

The state's chief minister, Trivendra Rawat, said the injured were receiving treatment at a local hospital.

The state is popular with religious tourists, attracting hundreds of thousands every year.

The victims, who were from the central state of Madhya Pradesh, were returning from Gangotri.

A senior official told the BBC that that 17 bodies had been recovered from the river.

"Rescue teams are trying to find the remaining bodies," he said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted that the the news was "painful".

He has announced plans to give 200,000 rupees (£2,377; $3,082) compensation to the families of the 21 victims.