At least 39 people were killed when a crowded passenger bus fell into a deep gorge in northern India, police said.

Police officer Raj Kumar said the driver lost control of the vehicle at a sharp bend on a mountain road in Himachal Pradesh state, nearly 385 miles north of New Delhi.

The bus then plunged more than 100 metres into the gorge.

The officer said the rescue operation is continuing and that the death toll of 39 is likely to rise.

Police figures show India has the world's highest road death toll, with more than 110,000 people dying each year in accidents commonly caused by overcrowding, speeding, and poor vehicle and road maintenance.