India bus crash kills at least 37: official

A packed passenger bus plunged off a bridge into a river in western India Friday killing at least 37 people, an administrative official said.

The accident happened when the driver lost control and veered off the road into Purna river in Navsari district, some 285 kilometres (180 miles) from Ahmedabad, the main city of Gujarat state.

"The death toll has risen to 37. At least 24 others are admitted to hospital for treatment," senior administrative official Remya Mohan in Navsari told AFP.

India has some of the world's deadliest roads, with more than 230,000 fatalities annually, according to the World Health Organization.

Transport analysts attribute the huge number of accidents to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.