At least 30 people have been killed after an overcrowded bus plunged off a mountain road into a gorge in northern India.

Chief minister of Uttarakhand state, Trivendra Rawat, said the bus, believed to have been carrying 45 daily commuters, skidded and fell into a 700-foot deep gorge.

Mr Rawat also said 12 others were injured in the crash.

Senior police official Sanjay Gunjiyal said rescue work was being hampered by bad weather, but that rescuers had so far managed to recover 20 bodies. Police expect the death toll to rise.

The cause of the crash is not known but Mr Gunjiyal said bad weather could have led the bus to skid off the road.

Footage from the scene of a deadly bus crash in Hong Kong

He said: “It is raining in the area since the morning. Two days back there was a landslide in that area.”

Mr Gunjiyal added that residents were the first on the scene to help the victims.

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Indian prime minister Narenda Modi tweeted: “Extremely saddened by the bus accident in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest. Rescue operations are underway and authorities are providing all possible assistance at the accident site.”

India has the world’s deadliest roads, with more than 110,000 people killed annually. Most crashes can be attributed to reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles.