India, April 20 -- In a tragic road accident, at least 15 people lost their lives and 20 others sustained injuries after a passenger bus rolled down a steep hillside in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said.

The mishap occurred around 10 am near Kagort village in the Ramnagar area when the bus, reportedly on its way to Udhampur from a remote village, lost control while negotiating a blind curve and plunged into a deep gorge.

Locals rushed to the spot soon after the accident and launched immediate rescue efforts, pulling out the injured from the mangled remains of the vehicle. Police, along with other emergency response teams, quickly reached the site and intensified the rescue and evacuation operation.

Offici...