The message reads, in part:
“Please accept my deepest condolences over the tragic consequences of the road accident in the state of Himachal Pradesh, in which many children and teenagers have died.
I ask that you to pass on my words of sympathy and support to the victims’ friends and families and wishes of an early recovery to those injured.”
According to the latest reports, the number of those killed when a bus plunged into a gorge has increased to 43 people. Another 30 people sustained injuries, many of them critical. The majority of the victims are schoolchildren and college students who were returning home after classes.
According to preliminary information obtained by the police in the course of the investigation, the driver lost control of the bus.