The bus was returning from Omkareshwar pilgrim centre in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh to Wardha when the accident occurred around 4 a.m., a police official said.

The bus was crossing a bridge on the Talaswada bridge on Nalganga river in Buldana district, around 400 km from here, when it suddenly crashed on the railings and fell into the 70-foot-deep gorge.

A majority of the passengers were from Wardha district.
Relief and rescue operations are going on in full swing and the injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment with help from local villagers.

The police were attempting to establish the identities of the victims.