International Desk || At least eight people were killed and 17 others injured after a passenger bus lost control and plunged into a ditch on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Kota, Rajasthan, early Saturday.Police said there were 27 passengers on board when the accident occurred. The bus was travelling from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh to the Khatu Shyam Temple in Rajasthan.The injured were rescued and taken to Kota’s MBS Hospital and New Medical College Hospital for treatment. Five of the eight deceased were women. They were identified as Aruna, Vaishnavi, Trisha, Krishna, Anita, Om, Suryavanshi and Raju.An official said authorities received information about the accident on Saturday morning. Seven people were found dead at the scene and were taken to hospital, while the injured were receiving treatment. None of the injured was initially reported to be in critical condition, the official added.Preliminary investigations suggest that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing the bus to lose control. The vehicle then broke through a roadside railing and plunged into the ditch. Police reached the scene and launched rescue operations after cries and commotion followed the crash.