The bus was on its way from Katra to Udhampur, when it rolled down a deep gorge at Panthal in Reasi district early morning today, police officials said. 

There were however conflicting versions of the incident as eyewitnesses said that two buses coming from opposite sides had collided, resulting in the accident.

Police officials, meanwhile, maintained that the driver of the bus had lost control of the vehicle, while negotiating a steep curve leading to the fatal accident. 

Immediately after the accident, the locals rushed to the spot and rescued the victims, who were taken to the nearby hospitals. Those seriously injured were shifted to district hospital in Katra and government medical college in Jammu, where doctors said the condition of some of the victims was critical.