Nainital | Three people died and 24 got injured when a roadways bus fell into a deep gorge in Bhimtal's Saldi area on Wednesday, police said.

The Uttarakhand roadways bus with 27 people on board was going from Almora to Haldwani when the driver lost control and the vehicle plunged into a 1,500 ft deep gorge, they said.

Bhowali Circle Officer Sumit Pandey said the injured are being rushed to the Community Health Centre in Bhimtal. Some of them are in critical condition.

Relief and rescue operations have been launched with the help of locals, he said, adding that 15 ambulances have also arrived from Haldwani.

Fire department and SDRF teams are also at the spot.

The injured are being pulled out of the gorge with the help of ropes, he said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over the accident and instructed the district administration to carry out the relief and rescue operations expeditiously.