At least 20 people have been burned to death after a suspected short circuit sparked a fire on a passenger bus in northern India.

The bus with 35 to 50 passengers aboard was minutes from starting its journey between the towns of Jaisalmer and Jodhpur in Rajasthan state when the fire broke out, local ruling party politician Mahant Pratap Puri told The Associated Press.

"Passengers didn't get time to deboard the bus as the fire spread quickly," Puri said.

The bodies of 19 passengers were recovered from the bus, while one person succumbed to their burns on the way to a hospital, he said.

At least 15 passengers were critically injured and admitted to a hospital.

Smoke began to emerge from the vehicle's rear due to a suspected short circuit barely five minutes after it departed Jaisalmer,

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