July 8 (UPI) -- More than two dozen people were killed Monday after the bus they were riding in slid off a highway and plunged 50 feet into a ditch in India, authorities said.
Agra District Magistrate Ravi Kumar told reporters the bus was speeding on the Yamuna Expressway while carrying 46 people, when the driver fell asleep. Twenty-nine people died.
Rescuers struggled to recover bodies from the heavily damaged bus, which had its roof partially ripped off. At least 17 injured were hospitalized and heavy equipment was needed to pull the bus out of the ditch.
Uttar Pradesh Roadways said it would compensate the victims' families.
Road experts in India have expressed concern about high speeds on the six-lane expressway.
"Pained by the bus accident," India Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted. "I pray that those injured recover fast. The state government and local administration are providing all possible assistance to the affected."