From correspondents in Himachal Pradesh, India, 09:31 PM IST

A pall of gloom has descended on Khanevali village in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla district. Eight of the 16 people who were killed in a bus accident Sunday hailed from the village.

The police have registered a case against the driver of the bus that fell into a 150-metre deep gorge in Shimla district Sunday. Five people were also injured in the accident.

The bus was on its way to Rampur from Basheri village.

The case was registered against the driver on the statement of a passenger Sandeep Kumar, station house officer Puran Chand told IANS on phone.

He said the bus was descending a steep gradient when the driver failed to negotiate a bend and the vehicle rolled into the gorge.

Deputy Commissioner of Shimla J.S. Rana said a magisterial inquiry had been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)