At least 20 passengers were burned to death when a private bus caught fire after colliding with a motorcycle near Chinnatekur village in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh in India today.

Police said the accident occurred around 3:30am on the Hyderabad–Bengaluru national highway when the motorcycle became trapped under the bus, rupturing its fuel tank and sparking an explosion. The flames spread rapidly, leaving the bus completely gutted within minutes.

According to Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen, there were about 40 passengers on board. "About 19 passengers, two children, and two drivers survived the mishap. The biker was among the dead," he said.

Kurnool district collector A Siri confirmed that 11 of the 20 bodies have so far been identified.

The bus door reportedly jammed due to a short circuit, trapping passengers inside, he added.

Byreddy Shabari, a lawmaker from Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party, said only a few passengers managed to break windows and jump out before the flames engulfed the vehicle. "A majority of the passengers were fast asleep when the accident occurred," she said.

Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the tragedy. Modi announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.