India, Oct. 24 -- Hyderabad, Oct. 24- In a ghastly road accident, about 20 passengers were charred to death while 23 others had a providential escape, after a bus caught fire on the Kurnool Highway in the early hours of today.

A family of four including a couple and their two children, returning to Bengaluru from Kurnool, perished in the incident. They are identified as Ramesh, his wife Anusha, their children Shashank and Manvitha, who all died in sleep, in the sleeper coach of the bus.

The mishap occurred near Chinnatekur village in Kallur Mandal, close to Ullindakonda Cross, about 20 kilometres from Kurnool town, at around 3.30 am. The front portion of the Bengaluru-Hyderabad bound VKaveri Travels bus caught fire, after a motorbike co...