Over 40 passengers were feared burnt alive when a bus caught fire in Mahabubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh early Wednesday.

 

 A private bus coming to Hyderabad from Bangalore caught fire after hitting a culvert near Palem in Mahabubnagar district around 5 a.m., witnesses said.

 

 Five passengers, including the driver and a cleaner, managed to escape. They were shifted to a hospital.The Volvo, belonging to Jabbar Travels, was carrying 48 passengers. The remaining 43 passengers were feared killed in the mishap.

 

 The passengers were asleep when the bus hit the culvert and its diesel tank burst. People from nearby village said within few minutes the bus was reduced to ashes. The victims were charred beyond recognition.