Indian bus fire kills 63 Hindu pilgrims - police

Lucknow: At least 63 people were killed when a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims caught fire after a serious accident in northern India, police said on Wednesday.

The bus, which was packed with 90 people returning from a pilgrimage in the town of Mathura, was travelling on a national highway near Agra on Tuesday evening.

The victims, including 17 children, were burnt alive after the bus caught fire.

"The bus was carrying more than 90 passengers of which 61 were inside," Agra deputy inspector general of police N.P.Srivastava said.

"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.