NEW DELHI, August 14 (RIA Novosti) - At least 12 children drowned and many are missing after a school bus plunged into a river in southwest India, national media said on Thursday.
The bus, carrying around 35 people, most of them children, skidded off a bridge and fell into the Phalguni River, on the outskirts of Mangalore, southwest of New Delhi, Aaj Tak TV said.
Police said the accident occurred after the driver apparently lost control of his vehicle while negotiating a sharp bend. A total of 15 children have been rescued and several other children are reported as missing. A rescue operation is under way.
Poor road conditions, ageing vehicles, and reckless driving are the leading causes of road deaths in the country. In late May, a bus carrying over 30 people plunged into a gorge in the northern Indian state of Uttaranchal, killing 16 people.
