India, Oct. 14 -- Several people died and about a dozen sustained burn injuries after an air-conditioned bus in Jodhpur burst into flames on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

Jaisalmer Municipal Council's assistant fire officer Krishanpal Singh Rathore said 15 passengers, including four women and three children, had sustained severe burn injuries.

Officials said the passengers first noticed smoke in the rear portion of the bus at about 3:30 pm, about 20km from the starting point in Jaisalmer.

The bus with 57 passengers was headed to Jodhpur a little over 250km away.

The fire spread through the bus before all the passengers could get off.

Local villagers and passersby alerted the authorities. Three ambul...