SEVEN have been killed and 15 injured when a luxury bus plunged into a 200ft gorge after slamming through a barrier.

The driver lost control at around 4.15am early Sunday morning and the vehicle, carrying 48 pilgrims, went through a crash barrier and fell about 35ft from the road.

Cops in Gujrat, India, said five people died instantly and 17 were taken to hospital with two later dying of their injuries.

The driver had lost control on the Nashik-Gujarat highway near Saputara hill station.

Photos showed the smashed-up blue double-decker bus at the bottom of the gorge with the roof entirely collapsed.

The pilgrims were from Madhya Pradesh, a large state in central India, and were on their way to Dwarka in Gujarat.

The tragedy comes after 30 people were killed in a crowd stampede at the mega religious festival Kumbh Mela.

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