New Delhi: At least 21 people were burned to death when a bus fell into a ditch and caught fire in central India on Monday, police said.

Constable Vikram Singh at the police control room in Panna district said the death toll from the crash may rise as police teams cut into the wreckage of the charred bus.

Singh said another 14 people had been injured and added that it wasn't clear how many passengers were travelling on the private bus.

He said the cause of the accident was also being investigated.

Panna district is in the state of Madhya Pradesh.