Nusrat Sidiq
20 April 2026•Update: 20 April 2026
At least 21 people were killed and 61 more injured when an overcrowded passenger bus veered off a road and plunged down a hillside in the Udhampur district of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region on Monday, officials said.
The bus was traveling from Ramnagar to Udhampur when the driver lost control around 10 am near Kagort village while making a sharp turn, police said.
It fell approximately 60-70 feet, crushing an autorickshaw before landing upside down.
The riders of the three-wheeler were also injured in the incident.
Indian Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who also represents the Udhampur constituency, confirmed the toll and said the injured have been transported to hospitals, with one critically injured person airlifted to Government Medical College Jammu.
Indian Army units were the first responders, rescuing dozens of people trapped in the wreckage in difficult terrain.
Rescuers were joined by local residents and a number of agencies to help passengers of the ill-fated bus.
Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed their condolences.
Modi announced compensation of 200,000 Indian rupees (about $2,148) for families of the deceased and 50,000 Indian rupees (about $540) for the injured.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have ordered assistance and launched an investigation. Abdullah also announced additional compensation.
