JAMMU: One person was killed and 16 others were injured when a bus returning from Mata Vaishno Devi shrine skidded off the road and plunged into a gorge near here Saturday evening, officials said.

The bus was on its way to Delhi and the accident took place near Manda, nearly eight kilometres from the Jammu bus stand, the officials said.

They said a rescue operation was launched soon after the driver lost control while negotiating a curve and the bus plunged into the gorge.

Seventeen persons were rescued and evacuated to the Government Medical College Hospital, where one of them was declared dead, the officials said.