14 burned to death after van catches fire in India

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.