11 killed as SUV plunges into gorge in northern India

NEW DELHI, Aug. 23  — At least 11 people have been killed after a sports utility vehicle (SUV) veered off a mountain road and rolled down a gorge in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, police said Thursday.
The accident occurred near Rohtang Pass on a highway connecting the resort town of Manali with Indian-controlled Kashmir.
“The SUV carrying the 11 people, including three children and five women, skidded off the road and fell into the deep gorge late Wednesday night. The mangled remains were spotted by passing vehicles only this morning,” a police official said.
“As soon as we got information, we rushed to the spot, recovered all the bodies and sent them for an autopsy. No one survived in the crash,” he added.
A probe has been ordered into the incident, the official said.
Road accidents occur in India mostly due to poor driving or badly maintained roads and vehicles. – XINHUA