Source : Sky News / 19 May 2014

More than 30 children have died in Colombia after a fire tore through a bus that had broken down returning from a church event.

While 18 people managed to escape the blaze, 31 youngsters and one adult died in the tragedy in the town of Fundacion.

The charred bodies of the victims had to be identified using dental records, said Mayor Eduardo Velez, coordinator of Magdalena province's emergency response corps.

He said: "There was a canister of gasoline inside the vehicle. The fire spread very fast."

Local officials said the bus was overcrowded - it was rated to carry only 38 passengers, but was carrying around 50.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, thought to have been started when the driver tried to get the bus going by pouring fuel into the engine which he accessed through the floor of the cabin.

The driver escaped unharmed and was being questioned by police.