India: Bus crash kills Atleast 40 People

At least 40 people, including children, have been killed after a bus crashed into an oil tanker and burst into flames in southern India, Sky News reports.

It is being reported that many victims, who were apparently asleep at the time of the collision, were trapped inside and were burned alive in the inferno.

The vehicle, which was carrying around 44 passengers, was travelling from Bangalore city to Hyderabad when the crash happened, around 800 miles from the Indian capital, New Delhi.

The bus hit the tanker on Kothakota flyover in Mahbubnagar district, police said.

Authorities were questioning the survivors to get further details.

The driver was among those who managed to escape through a window, according to a district official.

Road accidents are common in India, where roads are often in poor repair.

The country has the highest annual road death toll in the world, according to the World Health Organisation, with police figures showing more than 110,000 people are killed every year.

Transport officials blame a large number of accidents in the country on reckless driving and untrained drivers.