Rescuers and bystanders look at the wreckage of a passenger bus after it fell from a bridge in Ratnagiri district in the western Indian state of Maharashtra
Rescuers and bystanders look at the wreckage of a passenger bus after it fell from a bridge in Ratnagiri district in the western Indian state of Maharashtra (Reuters)

A packed bus has crashed through a barrier and veered off a bridge in the western Indian district of Ratnagiri, leaving at least 37 people dead.

The bus was travelling from the beach state of Goa to Mumbai when the driver lost control of the vehicle during a steep turn on the Jagbudi bridge in the state of Maharashtra.

The luxury bus plunged from a height of around 40ft into the Jagbudi river, which has almost dried up. Dramatic pictures from the scene showed the bus, which had a capacity of 55 passengers, overturned on its roof.

The bodies of all 37 victims have been retrieved and are currently being stored at the nearby Khed hospital. At least 14 people are thought to have been injured, and are currently receiving emergency treatment.

Although it is unclear what caused the bus to slide out of control, some sources suggest the bus was speeding at the time of the incident, and police are investigating whether the driver was drunk.

The National Crime Records Bureau said that about 110,000 people were killed in Indian road accidents in 2011, more than 300 every day.

Police also confirmed that there was one Russian passenger on the bus.