SHIMLA (India) - AT LEAST 30 people died on Friday in northern India when an overcrowded bus veered off a road and plunged into a gorge, police said.

The driver lost control of the bus while negotiating a turn in the Kangra valley in Himachal Pradesh state and the vehicle crashed into a river, police said.

'The number of dead is 30 while 26 others have been injured,' Rakesh Sharma, a senior government official, told AFP.

The accident occurred 210 kilometres (130 miles) from Himachal Pradesh state capital Shimla.

The 32-seat bus was overloaded, Mr Sharma added. Police and locals were aiding in rescue efforts and the injured had been rushed to hospital in the hill town of Dharamshala.

India has a high annual road death toll, with accidents often caused by bad roads, overcrowding and poor vehicle maintenance. -- AFP