Srinagar: Nine girls, of a computer coaching institute, died and seven others were injured when the minibus they were travelling in slipped into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district Thursday, police stated. The minibus, carrying students from the Poonch-based institute, fell into the gorge near Peer Ki Gali on the Mughal road connecting Bafliaz in Poonch to Shopian, a police official said.

He said 11 students, including nine girls, died in the accident while seven others were injured. The injured persons have been evacuated from the scene of the accident to Shopian hospital, police said. Satya Pal Malik, the Jammu and Kashmir Governor expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased.