At least 12 people were killed and 40 injured when their bus fell into a gorge in India's southern Kerala state early Tuesday, news reports said.
The bus was carrying at least 60 pilgrims from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh to the Hindu shrine of Sabarimala in Kerala when the accident occurred, PTI and IANS news agencies reported.
The bus crashed in Kottayam district, 160 kilometers north of the Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram, while negotiating a narrow road, Kerala Transport Minister Mathew T Thomas was quoted as saying, dpa reported.
Local residents rushed to the site of the accident and helped to rescue injured people and take them to hospitals.
Nine of the fatalities were women, two were men. Twenty of the injured were in serious condition.
Thomas said all the pilgrims hailed from West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
"We have asked for a detailed inquiry into the incident," Thomas said.
The Kerala government announced it would pay compensation of 100,000 rupees (2,029.50 dollars) for each of the families of the dead.
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