At least 35 people were killed on Monday when an overcrowded bus plunged into a gorge in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK), officials said.

The bus skidded off a road in the remote Kishtwar region and fell into a deep, narrow valley, police official M. K. Sinha said.

35 people died in the accident and 17 were injured, local official Angrez Singh Rana said.

Seven of the injured were in critical condition and were evacuated to a nearby hospital, he said.

Road accidents are common in the mountainous parts of Jammu and Kashmir, owing to its rugged terrain, with speeding and overcrowding adding to the safety hazards.

Last week, 11 students were killed when their bus fell into a gorge in Shopian district of IOK.