Bangkok, Oct 24 (IANS): Twenty-one people were killed and 18 others injured Thursday when a bus plunged into a ravine in northern Thailand, local media reported.
The bus, rented by a group of residents from Chiang Mai's Saraphi district who were returning home after visiting a temple in the neighbouring Lampang province, veered off a steep downhill road, rammed through the guardrail and fell into a 30 metre-deep ravine, Xinhua reported citing local media.
Twenty-one passengers were killed on the spot and 18 others, including the driver, were seriously injured and rushed to a nearby hospital.
An online report by the Thai News Agency put the death toll at 23.
Police said the driver was unfamiliar with the route and the bus had a brake problem.