Pakistan school bus explosion kills 17 children

17 Pakistani children burnt to death on Saturday when a gas cylinder on the bus taking them to school exploded, media said. Ten children were injured in the blaze on the outskirts of Gujrat, 100 miles (170 km) southeast of Islamabad, DawnNews said. Five of the injured children were in serious condition, hospital officials said. The blaze was apparently caused by a spark when the driver of the dual-fuel van switched from gas to petrol. The children were aged between five and 15 years old, a female teacher also died. The driver fled after the fire. Many vehicles in energy-starved Pakistan are powered by relatively cheap compressed natural gas and cylinder blasts are common.