MUMBAI — At least 44 people were killed and 35 injured when a bus plunged off a road in India's hilly northern state of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, a government official said.

"Around 78 to 80 people were on board the bus," said Akshay Sood, a senior civil servant in Kullu district, where the accident took place.

All passengers on the bus had now been rescued and accounted for, and the injured people were being administered medication, Sood said, adding that the death toll could still rise.

Indian roads are among the world's deadliest, with nearly 148,000 people killed in more than 460,000 accidents in 2017, according to government data.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his dismay over the accident.

"Deeply saddened by the bus accident in Kullu. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. I hope the injured recover soon," Modi's office said in a tweet. — Reuters