25 feared dead after school bus catches fire in Thailand 

A bus carrying young students with their teachers caught fire in suburban Bangkok on Tuesday, with 25 of those on board feared dead, officials and rescuers said.

The bus was carrying 44 passengers from central Uthai Thani province for a school trip in Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi provinces.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said there were fatalities and offered condolences to the victims' families.

Videos posted on social media showed the entire bus engulfed in fire with huge plumes of black smoke pouring out as it stood on the side of the road. 

Bodies were still inside the bus hours after the fire.

The students on the bus were reported to be in elementary and junior high school.

Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said officials could not yet confirm the number of fatalities because they had not finished investigating the scene, but based on the number of survivors, he said 25 people are feared dead.

He said the driver survived but appeared to have fled and could not yet be found.

The bus was one of three carrying children -- ranging from kindergarten age to around 13 or 14 years old -- from Wat Khao Phraya Sangkharam school in the northern province of Uthai Thani.

Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said the number of dead was not clear but 25 people were unaccounted for after the blaze.