At least 10 persons were killed this afternoon as the bus they were travelling plunged into a 500-ft valley on the Ooty Road. While seven passengers were killed on the spot, three were declared dead at the Government Hospital, Ooty.

The Tamil Nadu State Road Transport Corporation bus was proceeding from Ooty to Coonoor and the driver was over-speeding, said the residents of the area. The bus veered off the road at around 1.10 pm while overtaking another vehicle and tumbled into the valley. The bus rolled into the valley and due to the impact, several passengers were thrown out of the window.

Police and Forest Department officials are taking the help of tribals to shift the dead and the injured to the hospital.