By Abdul Gani

GUWAHATI, India

 At least 44 people are feared dead after a private bus fell into the Tons river in India’s northwestern Himachal Pradesh state on Wednesday, said a government official.

Rohan Chand Thakur, deputy commissioner of the Shimla district where the incident occurred, told Anadolu Agency that the rescue operation was ongoing and that casualties could increase.

“Our officials, workers and medical teams have rushed to the spot for the rescue work. It’s not possible now to say the details,” Thakur said. The cause of the accident is not yet known.

The Indian Express reported that the ill-fated bus skidded off the road fell nearly 250 meters downhill. Among the casualties, 10 are women and three children, according to the report.

The Times of India reported that the private bus was on its way to Tyuni in the nearby Uttarakhand state.

Reporting by Abdul Gani; Writing by Muhammad Arsalan Bakhtiar