Bus Skids off Bridge - 24 Feared Drowned

Four people drowned and 20 more were feared dead after a bus in eastern India fell into a river after colliding with a truck.

The accident took place on a bridge in Keonjhar district, 270 km (170 miles) north of Bhubaneswar, capital of Orissa state.

"At least 20 (more) people could have drowned after the bus fell into the river," Bijoy Murmu, a senior police official said from Keonjhar.

Around 30 people were rescued but 15 of them were in critical condition at a local hospital.

There were well over 50 people in the bus, police said.

Buses and trucks are often driven recklessely in India, where highway regulations are regularly flouted.