More than 30 people are feared dead after a bus drove off a bridge and plunged into a river below in the western Indian state of Maharashtra on Tuesday, local media reported.

The accident happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Local media said the bus was carrying more than 60 passengers from the western coastal state of Goa.

Cranes were brought to the site to help pull the bus from the water, as recovery workers removed victims' bodies.

Police believe some passengers may have leapt from the bus into the river, and search operations for those missing are underway.

Traffic accidents are common in India, where roads are often poorly maintained.

According to India's transport department, thousands of people die each year as a result of accidents caused by reckless or untrained drivers.