In a tragic incident, 40 passengers of a Volvo bus were feared dead after the bus caught fire in Mahabubnagar in Andhra Pradesh early on Wednesday.

The A/C bus owned by Jabbar travels, heading to Hyderabad from Bengaluru, went up in flames around 5.25 am, when the driver tried to overtake another vehicle and hit the fuel tank to a culvert. The tank burst resulting in fire.  The bus was reportedly carrying 49 passengers, most of whom were going home for Diwali festival.

Reports said most of the passengers were asleep when the bus caught fire. Only few could escape as they were unable to break the glass open.

The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital, latest reports said.