A horrific bus crash in southern India Wednesday has left 45 passengers dead after the bus burst into flames. Five other passengers, the driver and the bus cleaner managed to escape through a window.
The accident occurred near Kothakota in the Mahabubnagar district, reports The Hindu. It was operated by Jabbar Travels and was on an overnight trip from Bangalore to Hyderabad.
Officials have had trouble identifying the bodies of the deceased, as they had been burned beyond recognition as they were pulled from the bus. However, the Times of India reports that five of the victims worked for IBM and other tech companies in Bangalore. Two others were infants, aged one and a half and two.
The bus hit a roadside barrier as it tried to pass another vehicle in the state of Andhra Pradesh, police official Naveen Kumar Chand confirmed, notes the AP. When the diesel tank caught on fire, that lead to the entire vehicle being engulfed in flames. Passengers could not escape in time because the door was locked.
Relatives of those on the bus have gathered at Jabbar Travels’ offices in Bangalore and Hyderabad, where police have been called to keep them calm. Officials are also looking for the company’s owners in Bangalore.