Bus fire in China kills 47

BEIJING -- A fire that gutted a commuter bus, killing 47 and injuring dozens more during rush hour in a port city in southeastern China, appears to have been deliberately set, state media quoted investigators as saying Friday.

The fire ripped through the bus during the evening commute while it traveled on an elevated road in Xiamen city. A local fire official said emergency responders found bodies piled inside the charred, skeletal bus. The official Xinhua News Agency said Friday that in addition to the 47 dead, 34 people remained hospitalized.

Investigators said the fire appeared to be intentionally set, not a safety accident, Xinhua reported. Among the clues, Xinhua said, was that investigators found traces of gasoline on the wreckage, though the bus ran on diesel fuel and its oil tank and tires remained intact.

"It's a serious criminal case," the Ministry of Public Security, the national police agency, said in a statement on its website. Xiamen police declined to comment further.