SRINAGAR: A bus fell from a mountainous road into a deep gorge in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir on Friday, killing at least 11 people and injuring 20 others, police said.

Police officer Viplav Kumar said the driver lost control of the speeding vehicle on a sharp curve and plunged about 300 feet (90 meters) into the gorge. The injured people were hospitalized, some in critical condition.

The accident occurred near Udhampur, a town 250 kilometers (150 miles) south of Srinagar, the main city in the Indian-held portion of divided Kashmir.

Bus accidents are common in India, due mainly to vehicle overcrowding, badly maintained roads and aged vehicles.

About 240,000 people die in road accidents every year in the country, according to the transportation ministry's last assessment in 2013.