Jammu, Nov 26 (IANS): Eight people were killed Tuesday when a taxi in which they were travelling rolled down a hill and plunged into a river in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, police said.

The incident occurred when the Tata Sumo taxi skidded off the road and plunged into the Chenab River at Kaligarh near Darub Shalla in Kishtwar, 210 km from Jammu, a senior police officer told IANS.

"The vehicle was on way from Kishtwar town to Thathri village when the accident occurred," he said adding that police reached the spot on getting the information and launched rescue operations.

"The occupants of the vehicle were rescued and rushed to Thathri hospital. Five people were declared dead by doctors in the Thathri hospital while two other injured succumbed to their injuries later," the officer added.

"A seriously wounded person who was airlifted to Jammu for specialized treatment was declared dead by doctors of government medical college hospital in Jammu taking the death toll to eight," he said.