Pakistan bus fire kills 16 schoolchildren

Police say that a teacher was among the 17 burned to death in eastern Pakistan when a minibus taking children to school suddenly caught fire.

Police earlier said that all 17 who died in the Saturday morning blaze in Gujrat, about 190km northwest of Islamabad, were children aged between 6 and 12.

Officer Ijaz Ahmad said a short-circuit next to a leaking petrol tank started the blaze. Police earlier blamed an exploding natural gas cylinder. The bus was powered with both types of fuel.

He said an unspecified number of children were injured, some listed in critical condition.

Reuters