At least 40 people were burnt to death Sunday when fireworks on board a bus exploded and caused a fire in the eastern city of Lahore, dpa reported. Amir Zulfiqar, a senior police official, told reporters in Lahore that 40 dead bodies, mostly women and children, had so far been retrieved. Zulfiqar said an accidental explosion in the pile of fireworks that the wedding party was carrying along with them caused the sudden fire. Rescuers were still struggling to retrieve some of the charred bodies from the gutted bus wreckage, he said. About 12 people were able to get out of the bus, witnesses said, but most of them are in a critical condition and have been admitted to a nearby hospital. The majority of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition, police officials said. Most of the victims could not escape from the crowded bus, which was carrying between 50 and 60 passengers, all members of a wedding party.
