The bus belonging to Maa Gayatri Travels, carrying 60 passengers, fell off the bridge about 100 km away from here when one of its tyres burst and the driver lost control.

So far, 26 bodies have been recovered from the river while 15 others are feared to have been swept away, the report quoted police as saying.

The bus was on its way to Jabalpur from Bhopal. It was pulled out of the river in two pieces with the help of a crane, said the report.

Twenty-one persons were admitted to the Bareily hospital while six were later sent to Bhopal as their condition was serious.

The driver is missing, while the conductor, Laxmi Prasad, sustained injuries as he jumped out of the bus, and is undergoing treatment at the hospital. The Bhopal-based owner of the bus is absconding.

Army divers from Bhopal were deployed to carry out the search in the river.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced ex-gratia of 50,000 rupees (US$1,000) each for the families of the deceased.