The dead include seven students, a computer instructor and the jeep driver, all residents of Uchhal taluka in Tapi district of Gujarat.

According to the police, nine students and a teacher had hired the vehicle from Uchhal to travel to Dhulia district in Maharashtra for the computer exams in the morning.

The driver lost control over the steering while crossing the bridge. The vehicle turned turtle into the dry riverbed and the passengers sustained severe injures.

One student is in a critical condition and is undergoing treatment at the Sardar Smarak Hospital at Bardoli taluka in Surat district.

The passers-by stopped at the bridge and informed the police. The Uchhal and Navapur police rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation with the help of nearby villagers.

The deceased have been identified as Jashoda Vadvi (19), Jagdip Vasava (21), Ashish Vasava (22), Ranjeeta Gamit (20), Praful Gamit (20), Neerav Vasava (21), Nitin Vadvi (21), Vasim Kureshi (25, driver) and Devji Gamit (23, computer instructor).

Sources said the students were taking coaching of C++ course at the computer institute at Nawapur and were on their way to appear for the exams being conducted at the head office of the institute in the Dhuliya district.