At least 10 people were feared killed when a fire broke out in a bus after a collision with a truck on a highway in Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj district on Friday night, PTI reported, quoting District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar. The bus was on its way from Farrukhabad to Jaipur with around 60 passengers.

Twenty-one people were taken to hospital with injuries, Kannauj Superintendent of Police Amrendra Prasad Singh said. Around 10 to 12 of the injured persons had jumped from the bus to save their lives, Singh said.

Chief Minister Adityanath sent Cabinet minister Ram Naresh Agnihotri to the spot and sought a report from the district magistrate about the incident. He announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of those who lost their lives and Rs 50,000 to the injured.

State police chief OP Singh said the diesel tank seemed to have exploded after the collision, after which the bus burst into flames.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences for the families.

Police said a DNA test will be conducted to identify passengers, News18 reported. “The bodies are badly burned, their bones are scattered, so only a DNA test will determine the death toll,” said Mohit Agarwal, inspector-general of Kanpur range. “Prima facie bodies of 8 to 10 people seem to be on the bus but the damage is so extensive that casualties can be determined only through DNA test.”