A bus that was transporting elementary school students, plunged into a gorge in the Himalayan foothills of India, killing 23 children, two teachers, the driver and another woman, reports the New York Times.
The crash occurred Monday about 300 miles north of New Delhi, when initial reports indicated the driver was speeding on a mountainous road and lost control. The bus, which looks to be a coach but is not built to the same safety standards as the yellow school bus used in North America, fell about 200 feet.
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Indian officials said the students who died were as young as 4 years old. Ten other students were hospitalized.
The New York Times report indicated that India’s roads, especially those in the mountains, are feared for their deep potholes, lack of guardrails and reckless drivers, which make fatal crashes commonplace.
