Fifty killed in India bus plunge

More than 50 people died after their bus plunged into a canal in the Indian state of Karnataka, police say.

Rescuers have so far recovered 51 bodies. Nine of the 60 or so people travelling on the packed bus swam to safety, officials say.

The accident happened in Bijapur district, about 500km (310 miles) north-west of state capital, Bangalore.

Police said the driver of the bus apparently lost control at a curve while driving through the night.

The accident happened around 0300 (2130GMT) as the bus travelled from Hubli to Bijapur.

"It fell into a deep canal downstream of the Almatti dam," a police officer in Bangalore told Reuters news agency by telephone.

Authorities stopped the water flow into the canal from the dam to reduce the water level to help the rescue work, TV news channel NDTV said.

Cranes have been brought in to lift the bus from the water.

"We are not sure if there will be any more survivors because the accident took place late in the night and the water there is 15 to 20 ft (4.5m to 6m) deep," one officer said.