At least 20 people on board a Delhi-bound bus were feared dead when the vehicle skidded off a highway in Bihar's East Champaran district, fell into a deep pit and caught fire.
The incident took place on NH-28 near Belwa village under Kotwa police station area, about 30 kilometres from Motihari, the district headquarters.
The private air-conditioned bus had begun its journey at Muzaffarpur, about 85 km from Motihari.
The fire incinerated the bus and nobody could be retrieved so far.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (Sadar), Murli Manohar Manjhi and Officer on Special Duty to District Magistrate Ajeet Kumar, "six to eight" persons had managed to come out of the bus, which was engulfed in flames, by smashing the window panes.
They are being treated for injuries at a hospital, the officials, who were supervising rescue work at the spot, said.
State minister for disaster management Dinesh Chandra Yadav had expressed apprehension that more than 20 people could have been killed in the incident.
However, some of the surviving passengers told regional news channels that "only 13 passengers, besides the driver and a helper", were inside the vehicle when the incident took place.
They said a total of 32 passengers had booked their seats in the private bus, out of whom only 13 had boarded at Muzaffarpur and the remaining were likely to catch the vehicle at Gopalganj.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar mourned the tragedy while addressing a function organised by the state transport department in Patna by observing one-minute silence.
"I am pained by the irony..... here we have gathered to launch schemes related to transport which includes road safety and we receive the news of the tragic mishap. It is not known how many people have died," Kumar said afterwards.
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