SRINAGAR (India) - AT LEAST 24 people were feared dead on Sunday when a bus they were travelling in skidded off a road and plunged into a fast-flowing river in Indian Kashmir, police said.

The accident occurred in southern Doda district when the driver of the 25-seater bus, which was carrying more than 30 people, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the Chenab River.

'Five people jumped out of the bus in time as it started veering off the road. They are safe with minor injuries,' a police spokesman said.

He said the bus was fully submerged and the rescue operation was slow due to the high speed of the river, fed by Himalayan glaciers.

'We fear over two dozen others are dead,' he said, adding last month 30 people died in a similar accident.

Bus accidents are common in the area because of a combination of bad roads, overcrowding and poor maintenance of vehicles. -- AFP