Dozens of children die as fire tears through Colombian bus

Deutsche Welle, 19 May 2014

More than 30 children have been reported dead after a fire engulfed a bus in northern Colombia. There were reports of unrest outside the home of the driver, who was said to have fled the scene.

The children, who had been returning home from a religious service, were reported to have burnt to death aboard the bus in the northern town of Fundacion Cesar Uruena on Sunday.

Another 25 people, including one adult, suffered serious burns. The death toll could rise. A senior police chief for the town, 750 kilometers (465 miles) north of Bogota, told the AP news agency that some 50 people were aboard the bus, which was only rated to carry 38 people.

Mayor of Fundacion Estella Duran told reporters that the majority of children aboard the bus when it exploded were aged between one and eight. She said that an investigation was under way.

Emergency response coordinator Major Eduardo Velez said the fire had spread quickly and that a canister of gasoline had been inside the cabin of the bus, with reports that the driver had been trying to pour fuel into the engine from inside the vehicle.

Velez said the driver had escaped unharmed and was being questioned by police, with reports that angry locals had gathered outside his home, throwing rocks at windows.

Colombia's El Tiempo newspaper said there was a suspicion that the fire was accelerated by contraband fuel that was being carried on board.

Charred remains of the victims were set to the nearest major city of Barranquila for identification. Meanwhile, Colombian President Manuel Santos traveled to Fundacion to meet relatives of the victims after staging a final re-election campaign ahead of voting on May 25.

rc/crh (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)