As many as 45 bodies have been recovered after a bus fell into the Tons river near the town of Nerwa in Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh, on Wednesday. There were at least 56 passengers on board the private vehicle.

The bus was on its way to Tuni from Vikasnagar in Uttarakhand, and the accident took place at the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border, Shimla Deputy Commissioner Rohan Chand Thakur told the news agency. Uttarakhand’s Additional Director General of Police (Law & Order) RS Meena said they have arrested the conductor and will interrogate him.

Medical teams have been deployed from Sirmaur district, while rescue and relief workers have reached the spot. A National Disaster Response Force commandant is headed to the site from Dehradun in a helicopter.

The Uttarakhand government has announced compensation of Rs 1 lakh for the kin of those who died, Rs 50,000 for those who sustained serious injuries and Rs 25,000 for passengers who suffered minor injuries in the mishap.

India has the highest number of road fatalities in the world; more than 400 people are killed in accidents every day.