NEW DELHI: India President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said the death of pilgrims in a bus accident in Jammu Kashmir was extremely unfortunate.  The president offered her deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. The President also wished speedy recovery to the injured people.

Reportedly, 10 Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims, most of them from Bihar, died and 57 others were injured today as their bus fell into a gorge after skidding off the road and ramming into the railing of a bridge on the Jammu & Srinagar National Highway.

"The bus, which was on its way to Katra, met with the accident in the Jajjar Kotli area," they said. To the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, the bus was carrying devotees from beyond Jammu and Kashmir. For pilgrims visiting the well-known shrine atop the Trikuta hills, Katra serves as their base camp.

"It is deeply regrettable that the bus tragedy in Jammu resulted in the deaths of so many pilgrims. My sincere condolences go out to the families of the deceased. In Hindi, the President wrote, "I wish the injured folks a swift recovery.

Kashmir and Jammu Manoj Sinha, the lieutenant governor, expressed sorrow over the deaths caused by the bus accident on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and instructed the district government to help the injured.

In Jhajjar Kotli, Jammu, a tragic bus accident claimed the lives of many people. My sincere sympathies to the relatives of the deceased, and my prayers are with the injured for a quick recovery, according to an official statement from the LG's office in Jammu & Kashmir.

The district administration has reportedly been ordered to offer the injured people all appropriate care and assistance.

All of the passengers have been evacuated, according to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chandan Kohli of Jammu, and the rescue effort is nearly finished.

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