At least 20 people were killed and 17 others were injured Friday when a bus fell off a bridge in Bihar, eastern India, news reports said.

The bus fell over 30 m and landed into a dry riverbed while crossing the Mahatma Gandhi bridge over the river Ganges, near the state capital Patna, officials told the PTI news agency.

BK Sinha, a government official told the PTI that the driver lost control of the vehicle causing it to crash through the bridge's railing.

18 passengers were killed on the spot, while two others died later on, due to fatal injuries, at a government-run hospital in Patna. Doctors at the hospital said the condition of six of the 17 injured was "critical" and the death toll could rise.

Road accidents are common India due to reckless driving, untrained drivers and poor maintenance of roads and vehicles.

Statistics show that more than 110,000 people are killed in the traffic accidents in India annually. India holds one of the highest fatality rates in the world.