Collision In India Kills 40

A passenger bus caught fire after colliding with a truck loaded with paint on a highway in eastern India early Tuesday, killing at least 40 people, police said.

Fifteen passengers were hospitalized, said Narayan Ghosh, the deputy inspector-general of police.

The head-on collision occurred 25 miles south of Calcutta, the capital of West Bengal state. The bus was on its way to Calcutta from neighboring Orissa state.

The accident blocked traffic on the highway. Local villagers helped police rescue the injured passengers, Ghosh said.