Rescuers recover bodies from ill fated bus in Kashmir

Rescuers on Friday recovered bodies of at least 50 people from an ill fated bus ferrying members of the wedding party that was washed away by flash floods in Jammu and Kashmir.

The accident happened in the Laam area of Naushera sector along the Line of Control on Thursday.

Fifty people were reportedly on-board the bus at the time of accident.

Authorities declared a disaster alert in the region after two days of heavy rain hit villages across the Kashmir Valley, causing the worst flooding in two decades.

Heavy rain is expected for the next 48 hours. The state's main river, the Jhelum, and its tributaries are flowing several feet above the danger mark. The river flows into the Pakistani side of the disputed region.

At least, 15 people, including a border guard, were killed in separate rain-related incidents. All schools and colleges were closed and exams postponed.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting in New Delhi to review the flood situation and has dispatched members of the National Disaster Response Force to assist the state government.

Singh was scheduled to visit the region on Friday but had to cancel his trip due to the bad weather.