New Delhi, June 9 -- Iraqi officials are working to identify the victims of a bus crash that killed 21 people, a provincial official said Monday.

A passenger bus crashed and burst into flames Sunday in southern Iraq, in the latest deadly accident on the country's poorly maintained roads.

Fourteen of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and have not been identified, said Ahmad Saleem, spokesperson for the Thi Qar provincial council. Two Iranian nationals are believed to be among the dead, though their bodies have not yet been identified, he said.

The bus was traveling from the city of Najaf - which is holy to Shiite Muslims and a frequent destination for pilgrims - to the southern port city of Basra when the crash occurred at aroun...