The ill-fated bus was on its way from Chandigarh to Manali with at least 52 persons on board most of whom were from Mohali township near Chandigarh.

Thirteen tourists, the driver and the conductor escaped as they jumped out of the bus before it fell.

The report of the accident was first given by district BJP leader Ram Singh. A youth, Inder Singh, entered the bus and rescued some of the passengers by breaking open the windows. Of the rescued passengers, eight were women and five men.

While the police ruled out the possibility of finding any more survivors, Air Force helicopters and rafters joined river guides and local people searching for bodies. Kullu SHO Permanand Beniyal told The Indian Express that rescue operations had to be abandoned late in the night due to the darkness and a strong water current.

The ill-fated bus was extricated from the Beas, and somebodies entangled in its mangled remains recovered, taking the number of total bodies recovered so far to 24, police said.

Senior police officials were on the spot supervising the search operation.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who was holidaying in Manali, visited the Kullu Civil Hospital to see the injured eight women, four men and a 16-year-old boy and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 50,000 each to the next of kin of the dead.

A magisterial enquiry has been ordered into the accident. The appointed duty officer has been asked to submit his report within a week, deputy commissioner R D Dhiman said.

State Governor V S Rama Devi, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal expressed shock over the accident and conveyed sympathies to the bereaved families.