Many dead in wedding party crash

At least 48 people were killed in the northern Indian state of Uttaranchal when the truck they were in crashed on Tuesday, officials say.

The truck was carrying wedding party guests and plunged into a gorge near the district of Almorah.

Forty-five bodies have been recovered from the scene, officials say. Three people died on the way to hospital.

It is the second major road accident in the area in recent months. In April 14 people were killed in a bus crash.

Local district magistrate Rakesh Kumar told the BBC that 18 people were being treated in hospital - several were in a serious condition.

Road accidents claim hundreds of lives every year in India.

Most of the accidents are blamed on reckless driving, old vehicles and poorly maintained roads.

Many passenger buses are also old and in poor condition.

Lost control

In April's crash in Uttaranchal, a bus fell into a 100-metre (328ft) gorge near the town of Nainital, Mr Kumar told the BBC, leaving 14 people dead.

The same day more than 50 wedding guests died when their bus plunged into a canal in Barpeta district in north-east Assam state, police said.

The driver lost control of the bus after the brakes failed and the vehicle skidded off the road into a canal, police said.