Jammu: At least 33 passengers were killed when a mini bus rolled down a hilly road and fell into deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Monday (July 1), a senior police officer said.

The bus, which way on its way to Kishtwar from Keshwan, skidded off the road at Sirgwari and rolled down into the gorge around 7:30 am.

Bodies of 20 passengers have been recovered so far, IGP, Jammu, MK Sinha, told PTI.

Earlier, police officials had said that 24 people have been killed in the accident.

Rescue operation is going on, he said.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah took to Twitter to express his grief. "Terrible news coming in about the high death toll in a bus accident in Kishtwar. Condolences to the families of the deceased & prayers for the swift recovery of the injured," he said.