55 pilgrims killed in bus crash after leaving temple

A BUS carrying pilgrims from a Hindu temple in the hills of southern India has plunged off a road, killing at least 55 people including four children, officials said.

The driver lost control as he hit a speed bump on a road leading from the popular Anjaneya Swamy temple in Telangana state, about 120 miles from state capital Hyderabad, said transport minister P Maneder Reddy.

At least 33 others were injured as the overcrowded bus pitched into a gorge.

Crowds often throng the temple on Tuesdays. The site is dedicated to the Hindu god Hanuman, and Tuesdays are seen as auspicious for offering prayers to him.

Mr Reddy said laer that the bus depot manager had been suspended.