School Bus Fire Kills 15 Children In Pakistan

By Eyder Peralta

Published May 25, 2013 at 7:48 AM EDT

A relative of one of the children who died after a fire on a school bus, cries over the coffin, on the outskirts of Gujrat.

A fire onboard a school bus left at least 15 children dead in Pakistan Saturday morning.

The New York Times reports the private school bus caught fire near the town of Gujrat, when the driver tried to switch from using gasoline to natural gas.

"Because of high petrol prices, most public transport vehicles in Pakistan have been fitted with compressed natural gas kits, which, although cheaper, often pose a safety threat," the Times reports. "There are an estimated 2 million vehicles that run on compressed natural gas, or C.N.G., in Pakistan."

Unfortunately, the AP reports all the children who died burned to death.

The AP quotes police officer Mohammed Rasheed as saying 17 children had died.

Asif Bilal Lodhi, a civilian official, tells the Times that police are now looking for the driver, who Lodhi said fled without helping the children.

Gujrat, by the way, is about 120 miles southeast of Islamabad.