At Least 42 Die in China Bus Fire

33 others injured

An express bus burst into flames on an elevated roadway in southeastern China on Friday, killing at least 42 people and injuring 33 others, state media reported.

The blaze occurred during the evening rush hour in the prosperous port city of Xiamen, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

A local fire official who only gave his surname, Sun, said bodies were piled up inside the bus. He said the cause of the fire was being investigated.

Operations of the entire express bus system, known as Bus Rapid Transit, were suspended after the accident, Xinhua said. It quoted a survivor as saying she smelled gasoline and then saw a fire spreading rapidly.