At least 35 people were killed and six others wounded when a passenger bus fell in a 350 feet deep gorge in the Kishtwar district of Jammu region on Thursday afternoon.

The accident happened near village Phagu Marh, 270 kms from Jammu on the Doda Kishtwar Highway, when the driver of the bus lost control.

There were over 40 passengers in the bus, which was on its way to Kishtwar town from Jammu, according to a senior government officer.

"The bus rolled down into the gorge and later fell into the Chenab River. We have recovered 35 bodies during the rescue and relief operation. Six injured people are undergoing treatment in local hospitals," Shahid Anayatullah, deputy commissioner of Kishtwar, told rediff.com.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed extreme grief and sorrow over the tragic road accident. Azad expressed serious concern over the frequency of road mishaps in the state and asked the traffic department to take adequate and stringent measures to check the recurrence of such accidents.