Jammu, May 30 : 15 people were killed and 15 others were injured on Thursday in a road accident in the Akhnoor area of J&K's Jammu district.

Rajinder Singh Tara, J&K Transport Commissioner said that 15 people have been killed while 15 others were injured in the Akhnoor bus accident.

A bus carrying pilgrims from Hathras (UP) went out of the driver's control and skidded off on the road before dropping into a deep gorge in the Chungi Morh area of Akhnoor on the Jammu-Poonch highway.

A relief and rescue operation was immediately launched which was supervised by senior civil, police and army officers joined by the local civilians.

The injured were shifted to the Akhnoor Hospital from where those critically injured were shifted to the government medical college hospital in Jammu city.

The exact identities of those killed in this dastardly road accident is still being ascertained, officials said.

/IANS