In northern India, a passenger bus catches fire, killing at least 20 people.

According to police, a passenger bus in northern India caught fire on Tuesday due to a suspected short circuit, quickly engulfing the vehicle in flames and killing at least 20 people.

When the fire started, the bus carrying 35 to 50 people was just about to leave the Rajasthan state towns of Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, according to local ruling party politician Mahant Pratap Puri, who spoke to The Associated Press.

Puri claimed that because the fire spread swiftly, passengers were unable to get off the vehicle in time.

According to Puri, 19 passengers’ bodies were found inside the bus, and one person passed away from burns while being transported to a hospital. At least fifteen passengers were seriously hurt and sent to a hospital for medical attention.

Just five minutes after leaving Jaisalmer, Puri added, smoke started to come from the back of the car because of a possible short circuit. The bus was stopped by the driver on the side of the road close to a military installation, but the fire quickly spread to the bus.

It was a brand-new bus that was loaded with gas for air conditioning. The entrance and exit were through a single door. Puri was present when local government and military personnel began rescue efforts. “Unfortunately, the passengers seated on the rear end couldn’t make it to the exit and were burnt alive,” Puri added.

In order to verify the victims’ identities, the local administration requested information from family members and intended to use DNA evidence to identify the bodies.