Bus fire kills 63 Hindu pilgrims: Police

LUCKNOW: Sixty-three people were burnt alive when a bus packed with Hindu pilgrims caught fire in northern India, police said on Wednesday.

The bus was travelling on Tuesday evening on a national highway near Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal. The victims, including 17 children, were returning from a Hindu pilgrimage in the town of Mathura.

"The bus was carrying more than 90 passengers of which 61 were inside," Agra deputy inspector general of police NP Srivastava told media by telephone.

"The rest had perched themselves on the roof-top, when the bus suddenly went ablaze. While the ones on the rooftop managed to jump off and save their lives, those inside lost their lives." Police said the fire was caused by a mechanical fault.