52 killed in Kazakhstan bus inferno

Astana, Jan 18 : At least 52 people were killed on Thursday as a bus caught fire on a highway in western Kazakhstan.

Five passengers, including two drivers, survived the accident that took place at around 10.30 a.m. in the Irgiz district of Aktobe region, said a spokesperson of the Kazakh Emergency Situations Committee.

The Committee said that the most probable cause of the fire was a short circuit in the wiring of the bus which was reportedly overloaded, Efe news reported.

The bus was travelling from Uzbekistan to Russia and according to initial reports, all of the victims were citizens of Uzbekistan.

Uzbek and Kazakh authorities were cooperating to identify the victims.

IANS