Jammu, May 8 (IANS) At least 40 people are feared dead as the bus they were travelling in fell into Barah Nullah, a tributary of river Chenab, near Kishtwar Thursday afternoon. Four passengers were rescued while the rest are believed to have been swept downstream. So far, 10 bodies have been recovered, police said.

The bus from Kishtwar was on its way to Jammu when it rolled down a gorge after covering the first 10 km of its 210 km journey. It was a video coach of a private transport company and over 40 passengers were on board.

“Our rescue efforts have begun. Ten bodies have been recovered,” said an official at the police control room here.

The four injured passengers have been taken to Kishtwar district hospital.

The rescue teams are battling treacherous terrain and the fast currents to reach the bus, which has also been swept downstream by the rapid current.

The cause of the accident is not immediately known.