At least 20 people were killed in a fire caused by a fuel spill following a collision between a motorcycle and a bus on a route connecting the southern Indian tech cities of Bengaluru to Hyderabad, according to reports from the domestic media.

In January, the authorities reported that India, the third largest car market in the world, has some of the most dangerous roads. Road accidents killed about 180,000 people last year, according to the authorities.

A Siri, a district official in charge of revenue, told the news agency ANI that 21 passengers had been rescued. "Among those who remain, 11 bodies have so far been identified."

Last month, a similar accident in western desert state Rajasthan killed 19 people when a private vehicle caught fire.

ANI is a minority shareholder. (Reporting and editing by Clarence Fernandez; Sakshi Dayal)

(source: Reuters)