Forty-one passengers were dead from a bus fire Friday morning in Xinyang city, Central China's Henan province. The cause of the blaze is still being investigated.

Six passengers including the bus driver were pulled out alive by rescuers from the fire that happened at 4 am on a section of the Beijing-Zhuhai Highway in Xinyang. They have been sent to hospital.

A police officer told Xinhua that the fire on the bus with 35 sleeper berths was put out at about 6 am, but the bodies inside the vehicle were carbonized, and could only be identified through DNA tests.

Investigators have followed the bus driver to the hospital for further information.

Wang Dexue, deputy director of the State Administration of Work Safety, and Huang Ming, deputy minister of public security, are heading for the site from Beijing to direct the investigation.