23 killed in Thai school bus inferno

A devastating fire on a Thai school bus killed at least 23 people, police said on Tuesday after rescuers pulled children's bodies from the charred wreckage of the vehicle.

The inferno engulfed the coach on a highway in a northern Bangkok suburb as it carried 38 children -- ranging from kindergarten age to young teenagers -- and six teachers on a school trip.

It is believed to be the deadliest road accident in a decade in Thailand, which has one of the world's worst traffic safety records with around 20,000 fatalities a year.

"We found 23 bodies inside the bus," Trairong Phiwpan, head of the police forensic science office, told reporters.

The victims' bodies were so badly burned that Trairong said it was not yet possible to confirm how many were adults and how many children.

DNA testing would be needed to identify the remains, police said.