Twenty-seven people have been killed after a bus caught fire in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, rescuers said on Tuesday.

The bus with 38 people aboard, suddenly caught fire at around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday on its way from Wansheng district to downtown Chongqing, they said.

The fire was "quite fierce", rescuers said.

Eleven escaped and were rushed to the Qijiang County Central Hospital for emergency treatment.

The bus belonged to the Wansheng Branch of Chongqing Guanzhong No. 3 Public Transport Company.

According to Chen Jun, driver of the bus, the fire broke out at the row behind his seat. The row was seated by Xiao Yonghua, a former deputy manager of the Wansheng Branch and his wife Zhang Xiaoya.

The couple got on the bus holding several big bags without passing safety checks at the bus station, Chen said, adding the fire just came out of their bags.

Xiao was reportedly dissatisfied with the punishment of the suspension of his post on Sept. 20 due to family disputes, according to the Guanzhong company.

The couple died in the fire.

Vice mayors of Chongqing Yu Yuanmu and Tong Xiaoping immediately rushed to the site to handle the accident with officials from the public security, fire fighting, work safety and health departments.

(Xinhua News Agency October 3, 2007)