(Reuters) -At least 19 people died on Tuesday afternoon when a private bus in the western Indian state of Rajasthan caught fire, Indian broadcaster NDTV said, citing the police.
The bus was travelling from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur with 57 passengers on board when smoke emerged from the rear of the vehicle. The driver stopped the bus along the side of the road but flames engulfed the vehicle within moments, NDTV reported.
The police believe that a short circuit caused the fire, the report added.
Fifteen passengers, including two children, sustained serious burn injuries, with some suffering up to 70% burns, NDTV said.
Reuters could not independently verify details of the report. Rajasthan’s police did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
“Distressed by the loss of lives due to a mishap in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. My thoughts are with the affected people and their families during this difficult time,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an X post.
He also said the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund will provide 200,000 rupees ($2,253) to the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees to the injured.
($1 = 88.7490 Indian rupees)
(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
