Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief over the death of pilgrims from Bihar, mostly from Lakhisarai district, in a bus accident in Jammu on Tuesday and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of victims hailing from the state.

Kumar also asked the Resident Commissioner of the eastern state in New Delhi to take stock of the situation and ensure proper treatment to the injured.

Ten Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims, most of them from Bihar, were killed and 57 others injured as their bus fell into a deep gorge on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in the morning today.

"The CM is deeply saddened by the death of Bihar natives in a bus accident in Jammu and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the immediate family members of the deceased" said a statement issued by the Chief Minister Office here .

Officials in Jammu said the bus, which was on its way to Katra from Amritsar, met with the accident in Jhajjar Kotli area on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Katra is a base camp for the pilgrims visiting the famous shrine atop the Trikuta hills.

The bus skidded off the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and rolled down the bridge over a nallah at Jajjar Kotli between 6.30 and 7 am, the officials said.

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