Dozens dead after bus plunges in India

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- At least 44 people -- mostly children -- were killed after a bus ran off the road and plunged into a canal on Wednesday, a police official said.

The driver lost control around 6:45 a.m. in a town in the western state of Gujarat.

Authorities believe 35 school-bound children were aboard the bus when the wreck happened, said Ahmit Vishwakarma, police superintendent in the Vadodara district.

Rescue crews recovered 44 bodies and rescued four people, he said, while another four or five people were missing.

Investigators have not determined why the driver lost control, he said.

The wreck happened in the town of Bodeli, about 44 miles (70 km) from the city of Vadodara, which is the capital of the district with the same name. E-mail to a friend

From CNN's Tess Eastment

All About India • Transportation • Traffic Accidents