At least five passengers of a bus were killed and 33 others wounded, including nine critically, in a road accident in hilly Ramban district of Jammu region on Saturday morning.

A senior government officer said the ill-fated bus was on way to Srinagar from Jammu when it skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in the mountainous Nashri area on Jammu Srinagar highway.

"Out of 38 passengers on board, five died on the spot while 33 others were injured, nine of them grievously who were airlifted to Jammu for specialised treatment," Shabir Ahmad Bhat, deputy commissioner Ramban, told rediff.com.

He said 20 of those injured in the accident were labourers from Bihar. Bhat also said some of the injured have been dispatched to Srinagar for treatment.

Rescue teams were rushed immediately to the area as the news reached the district officers. Senior civil and police officers including Bhat visited the spot.