Pune, Feb 4: Ten people were killed and at least 35 injured once the luxury bus they were travelling in fell into a deep ditch on the Pune-Solapur highway late Monday, officers said.

A majority of the dead on the Kolhapur-Mumbai luxury bus were from Porbandar city in Gujarat. The dead include seven women, officers said.

The accident was reported  at around 9.45 p.m. Monday in the treacherous Khambatki ghat area of the highway once the bus was negotiating a sharp ‘S turn’, according to route police official D. Bhelare.

“The driver apparently lost control on the ‘S turn’ and the bus went off the road into a ditch (which was) at least 20 feet deep. Six passengers died instantly, whereas the remainder died on thanks to hospital.”

The tragedy was compounded once at least 3 private vehicles that stopped to help the bus accident victims were hit by a speeding container vehicle.

Four people in the cars were injured and their vehicles were badly damaged, he added.

The condition of 11 of the injured is said to be serious, Bhelare aforesaid.