5 killed, 18 injured as vehicle falls into gorge in Indian-controlled Kashmir

 At least five people were killed and 18 others injured Wednesday after a mini-bus they were traveling in skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.
The accident took place at Katra in Reasi district, about 263 km south of Srinagar , the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
"Today in a tragic road accident at Katra, five people were killed and 18 others injured when a mini-bus carrying them fell into a gorge," said a police official posted at police control room Jammu. "The vehicle was on way to the district headquarters of Reasi."
According to police, the injured were immediately referred to hospital.
"The bodies have been retrieved from the spot and the injured have been shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu," the official said.
The cause of accident was being investigated, the police official said. However, preliminary investigations carried out by police suggested driver lost control over the vehicle while negotiating curve on the hilly road.
Deadly road accidents are common in this mountainous region due to overloading, bad roads conditions and reckless driving.
Last year at least 992 people were killed and 8594 were injured in 6455 road accidents in the region.