India bus crash 'claims 26 lives'

Authorities in the northern Indian state of Uttaranchal say 26 people have been killed in a passenger bus crash near the holy town of Uttarkashi.

Senior official Meenakshi Sundaram told the BBC that the bus carrying 35 passengers skidded off the road.

She said eight other passengers who were on board the bus have been injured, six of them seriously.

Road accidents are common and claim hundreds of lives every year in India.

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