At least eight people were killed and over 20 others injured after a passenger bus caught fire following a collision with a trailer on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan's Dausa district early Wednesday.

The accident occurred around 3:30 am when the bus, carrying about 37 passengers from Rishikesh to Indore, allegedly lost control and rammed into a trailer moving ahead, according to preliminary findings.

Officials said the impact triggered a massive fire that engulfed the bus within minutes. Eyewitnesses said most passengers were asleep when the crash occurred, leading to panic as several people became trapped inside.

The injured were rushed to a district hospital, while one critically injured passenger was referred to Jaipur for advanced treatment. Authorities said six victims died of burn injuries and two succumbed to head injuries.

Police said the bus belonged to Indore-based Hans Travels. Rescue operations were supervised by Dausa SP Piyush Dixit and District Collector Saumya Jha, who said initial investigations point to the driver losing control of the vehicle.

Authorities have issued a helpline for relatives of passengers and launched an investigation into the exact cause of the accident. Most of the passengers are believed to be from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.