22 die in Indian bus accident

The bus caught fire on impact, burning the passengers beyond recognition, police deputy superintendent Bharuch Malik told the news agency.

"The bus had only one entry and exit point. As soon as the bus hit the truck, the panicked passengers ran to the back of the vehicle and were trapped when fire erupted from the rear portion," he said.

The fire intensified, fuelled by the foam seats and other flammable materials in the bus, PTI said.

"Only after post-mortems we will be able to ascertain how many (victims) were males and how many females," Malik said.