Central China Bus Blaze Kills 41

A fire on an overcrowded bus carrying flammable materials killed 41 passengers in central China on Friday, state television reported, in one of the country's worst road accidents this year.

The double-decker bus was taking people to southern Hunan province when it caught fire early on Friday morning on a highway, China Central Television (CCTV) said, adding the cause of the disaster is still being investigated.

Five passengers and the driver were pulled alive from the overnight bus, which was reportedly only designed to carry 35 passengers but had 47 people on board.

CCTV said there were "flammable materials" on board, but did not provide further details.

A police officer told Xinhua the fire raged for two hours and completely destroyed the bodies of the victims, who would only be identified after authorities carried out DNA tests on the charred corpses.

Photos of the tragedy showed the bus had been completely destroyed by the blaze, leaving only a burnt-out shell.

The report said the survivors, one of whom was very seriously injured, have been rushed to hospital.

China's roads are among the world's most dangerous, with traffic and safety laws widely flouted. Drivers looking to maximize profits often load their buses with too many passengers, sometimes triggering deadly incidents.