Amarnath yatra bus accident
In picture: People gather near the ill-fated bus that fell into a gorge in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir with amarnath yatra pilgrims on Sunday, July 16, 2017.Twitter

Local reports say a bus filled with Amarnath yatra pilgrims fell into a gorge in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, July 16, leading to the death of at least 16 of them. 

Dozens more have been injured in the accident, which took place on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near Banihal. The injured are being rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. 

"Most passengers were from Rajasthan and Bihar," Jammu IGP SD Singh Jamwal later told reports. He added that there were a total 46 people on the bus, of whom 16 had died.

Helpline numbers 0191-2560401 & 0191-2542000 have been set up for those who want details about their loved ones involved in the crash. 

Local authorities rushed to the spot, and search and rescue operations got under way. Indian Army personnel aided in these operations. An Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper was also pressed into action to airlift the injured to hospitals. The IAF helicopter airlifted 16 of them for treatment. 

Initial reports had said that 10 people had been killed and 35 injured in the attack, but more of them are believed to have succumbed to their injuries later. 

Regional sources claimed that the vehicle numbered Bus No. JK02Y-0594 belonged to the state transport cooperation. They also said it fell into the Nach Nalla gorge because its tyre had exploded. However, no official reason has been made available yet. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief at the incident. He said in a series of tweets: "Extremely pained by the loss of lives of Amarnath Yatris due to a bus accident in J&K. My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. I pray that those injured in the bus accident in J&K recover soon."

See photos from the spot of the incident. Warning: some of them are quite graphic in nature: 

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  • Amarnath yatra bus accident
    In picture: Indian Army personnel help people after a slope after they were rescued from the spot of the Amarnath yatra bus accident in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, July 16, 2017.Twitter
  • Amarnath yatra bus accident
    In picture: Bodies of people lie at the bottom of a gorge after they were killed in the Amarnath yatra bus accident in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, July 16, 2017.Twitter
  • Amarnath yatra bus accident
    In picture: A body lies at the spot of the Amarnath yatra bus accident in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, July 16, 2017.Twitter

It may be noted that while seven people had died on the spot in the terror attack on July 10, the death toll had risen to eight earlier on Sunday with a 47-year-old woman named Lalitaben succumbing to her injuries. 

Watch the video of Sunday's rescue operation here: 

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