Ramban (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 30 (HBTV): Ten bodies have been recovered a day after a taxi rolled down a deep gorge on the Jammu and Srinagar National Highway, police said.

The authorities said a rescue operation is underway.  

Ramban’s Senior Superintendent of Police Anuj Kumar said ‘The vehicle accidentally slipped (sic) and fell into a 300-350 metre-deep gorge. We have been recovering the bodies since 2:00 am. Ten bodies have been recovered. The process to identify the bodies is on.’   

"We have found some identification cards and are in touch with their families," the official said.

The accident took place near Battery Chashma in the Ramban area in the early hours of Friday.

Kumar said the military and a mountain rescue team have also joined the rescue operation.

He said the road had become slippery due to rain at about 10-30 pm on Friday, and "the stream was flowing rapidly." He said the vehicle has not been located yet. 

The police officer said the deceased include mostly non-locals.  Some were said to be from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. 

The police said the vehicle was on its way from Jammu to Srinagar.  

A team of disaster response force personnel from the Union Territory is also present at the spot, he said. 

(ANI) This is a syndicated news feed. HBTV has edited it for clarity.