Srinagar, Kashmir - At least 39 people were killed and 14 injured Wednesday when a bus skidded off a mountain road and fell into a river in India's northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

The accident occurred when the driver of the bus lost control while taking a sharp turn on the road at Pul Doda in Doda district, about
180 kilometres north-east of the state's winter capital, Jammu.

The bus fell 90 metres into the Neeru Nullah, a tributary of the Chenab River, an official at the police control room in Jammu said.

Local people began the rescue operation and were soon joined by the police and army.

Thirty-six bodies were recovered while three passengers died on the way to hospital. The victims consisted of 30 men, eight women and a child.

At least five passengers were in critical condition, the police said.

The bus was on its way from Bhaderwah, a small town in Doda district, to Jammu.

Road accidents are common in India, where about 10 per cent of the more than 1 million fatal road accidents worldwide occur each year. (dpa)