28 injured after bus falls into ditch in eastern India

At least 28 people were injured after a bus plunged into a ditch in the eastern Indian state of Bihar on Monday, a senior police official said.

"The mishap took place in the state's Nawada district this morning when the private bus with some 44 passengers on board fell into a ditch after the driver lost control of the speeding vehicle while negotiating a curve near a police checkpoint," he said, on condition of anonymity.

Some of the injured were in critical condition, the official said.

The private bus was on its way to Bihar's capital Patna from the eastern city of Kolkata when the accident happened.

"The driver of the bus has fled the spot and efforts are on to nab him," the official said.

India records one of the highest road accident rates in the world, with over 130,000 deaths every year, according to official figures. Endit