24 killed in bus fire in southwest China city of Chengdu; cause unclear

24 killed in southwest China bus fire

BEIJING — Chinese state media says 24 have been killed in a bus fire in the southwestern city of Chengdu.

A brief report by the official Xinhua News Agency gave no indication of the cause of the fire early Friday, and Chengdu city government spokesemen reached by phone refused to officer additional information.

Pictures posted on blogs and Internet forums showed the bus consumed with flames. One badly burned and bloody woman was seen laying on the road with another man standing over her, his clothes burned off and his skins singed bright red.