A speeding bus exploded in a ball of flames after crashing into the central reservation of a southern Indian highway early Wednesday, killing 45 passengers as they slept. Only five people on the vehicle escaped the inferno, including the driver and the cleaner who broke windows and fled before the fuel tank exploded, police said. "The total number of charred bodies found is 45, including that of a small child," L. Sarman, a senior district administrative official, told AFP.
"The driver was speeding at about 120-130 kilometres (75-80 miles) an hour. He was driving all night, it seems he may have fallen asleep at the wheel," said Sarman. Police said the driver and cleaner had tried to flee the scene of the accident, which occurred around 5:00 am (2330 GMT Tuesday) between Bangalore and Hyderabad.