14 killed as minivan catches fire in north India
Jul 11, 2012, 4:51 AM
LUCKNOW, India (AP) – Police say 14 members of a family returning from a wedding were burned to death when the minivan they were traveling in caught fire in northern India. The dead include 10 children.
Rafiq Ahmad, a local police officer in Uttar Pradesh state, said Wednesday that the vehicle was fueled by a cylinder of cooking gas that caught fire due to a short circuit. Ahmad said the cylinder likely exploded, turning the minivan into a ball of fire and trapping the passengers inside.
The accident took place late Tuesday night near Shamli, a town about 350 kilometers (220 miles) southwest of state capital Lucknow.
Ahmad said the van was carrying 20 passengers and was returning after attending a marriage ceremony. The six surviving passengers were injured.
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