Around 30 people are feared dead after a bus carrying Sikh pilgrims plunged into a gorge in northern India, reports say.

Of the more than 50 people on board, there are only 18 confirmed survivors, officials said.

Seven bodies have been recovered and the search continues for other victims.

The bus was en route from Barnala in Punjab state to Manikaran in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh when the accident happened.

A senior local police official told the Indian Express that the driver lost control of the vehicle before it fell into a river.

The bus conductor was one of those to survive and said the 52-seat bus had been filled to capacity.

Road safety is notoriously bad in India, with more than 100,000 dying each year in crashes.

Accidents are frequently blamed on poor driving and dilapidated roads.