The Uttarakhand Roadways bus, carrying nearly 40 passengers, fell into a 100-foot deep gorge at Dhyari, nearly 65 km from Almora, killing 17 persons on the spot and leaving 22 injured, Almora Superintendent of Police KS Nagniyal said over phone from the scene of the accident. The accident took place around 1 pm.
All the bodies have been recovered and the survivors rescued, Nagniyal, who supervised the rescue operations, said.
Twenty two persons who sustained injuries in the accident were first rushed to Dhauladevi primary health centre from where three were referred to a hospital in Haldwani and seven to Almora.
The rest of the injured were discharged after first-aid, the SP said.
The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, the police officer said.
Meanwhile, expressing grief at the loss of lives in the accident, Chief Minister Harish Rawat announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 each for those seriously injured and Rs 20,000 each for those who received minor injuries.