The toll in the bus accident in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh has risen to 15 with the recovery of two more bodies.
The tourist bus with 70 occupants coming from Nellore to Railway Kudur in Kadapa district had fallen in to a deep gorge on Thursday night. 35 others were injured.
All the victims belonged to the family of one Balaji who gone to Nellore for tonsuring ceremony of his child at Penchala temple.
The police said that the bus met with the accident when it was passing through the treacherous Rapur-Chitvel Ghat section.
"The driver was drunk and he lost the control over the vehicle leading to the accident," Kadapa District Collector Krishna Babu said.
The loss of life could have been higher if the bus had not stopped when it hit a tree after falling in the gorge.
The gorge was about 100 feet deep, but the bus stopped at the depth of 30 feet. Some of the occupants of the bus came out using saris as ropes and alerted others about the accident.
Pitch darkness and lack of cell phone signal also added to the woes of the victims.
Much before the police and other government officials could reach the spot for launching the relief operation, the people from surrounding areas rushed there and started helping the victims. They recovered a six-year-old injured boy and rushed him to the hospital, but he died on the way.
The state government has announced an exgratia of Rs 1.5 lakh to the kith and kin of those killed in the accident.
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