Thirteen people have died and 29 have been hurt after a passenger bus carrying dozens of members of a music troupe left a motorway and crashed into a gorge in western India, police say.

The bus was on its way to Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, from the city of Pune, where the musicians had performed, police officer Atul Zende said.

The exact cause of Saturday’s crash was not immediately known.

Most of those killed belonged to the troupe, from Mumbai, Mr Zende said.

Rescuers helped the badly hurt from the wreckage and sent them to a hospital, he added.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sorrow over the crash and announced monetary relief for the victims’ families.

Deadly road accidents are common in India due to reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles.

More than 110,000 people are killed every year in road accidents across India, according to police.