NEW DELHI At least 25 pilgrims were killed and 23 injured when a bus plunged into a river in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh early on Sunday, the United News of India (UNI) said. It said the bus carrying the pilgrims from the central state of Madhya Pradesh fell into the Mandakini river near the holy town of Kedarnath, high in the Himalayas. Kedarnath is about 800 km (500 miles) from the state capital Lucknow. It was the second bus accident in the state in four days.

On Thursday, a bus carrying pilgrims plunged into a gorge on its way back from Badrinath, another pilgrim town in Uttar Pradesh, killing 29 people. (Reuter)