NEW DELHI, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and over two dozen others injured after a passenger bus skidded off a bridge on Friday amid heavy rains in the northern Indian state of Punjab, officials said.

The accident took place near Jiwan Singh Wala village in Bathinda district in Punjab.

Immediately after the accident, locals rushed to the spot to help the injured and alerted the police, who rushed their teams and disaster response force personnel to carry out the rescue efforts.

"Eight people, including a 2-year-old girl, were killed unfortunately in today's accident," Showkat Ahmad Parray, a senior government official in Bathinda, told media. "Five of the deaths were confirmed at Talwandi hospital and the other three at the civil hospital, Bathinda."

Parray said that, according to the rescued, the bus was being driven at high speed and a trawler came from the opposite side, following which the bus driver lost control and plunged into a drain.

A senior police official in Bathinda, Amneet Kondal, said 46 passengers were rescued from the accident site.

Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation into the accident. Enditem

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