At least nine people have died after a huge fire ripped through a moving bus that forced terrified passengers to smash windows and jum out to escape the flames. The incident happened on board a packed double decker sleeper bus, trapping dozens of passengers.

So far, a woman and eight men have been confirmed dead, out of about 35 on board the bus at the time. The driver and conductor of the bus have both been arrested. A passenger who managed to flee the burning bus said the vehicle was crammed with passengers, many of whom were asleep when the terrifying blaze broke out.

The passenger said: “I was sleeping when someone woke me up saying the bus had caught fire, and we all scrambled to get out.

“It was not an easy situation to escape; there was a lot of smoke. We somehow managed to get out.”

The fire took hold at around 11.30 local time forcing passengers to to smash the windows and jump onto the road, before rushing back to help rescue others still trapped inside.

A police report said the fire was caused by a malfunction involving the bus’s air-conditioning unit which then ignited the engine lubricant oil and rapidly spread.

The vehicle caught fire while on the Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida, just outside of India’s capital, New Delhi.

Despite passengers alerting the driver and conductor to a strong burning smell, they reportedly ignored calls to stop the bus.

The Times of India reported that the pair continued smoking inside the driver’s cabin before flames broke out shortly afterwards.

Noida chief fire officer Pradeep Kumar said: “During the immediate rescue operation, more than 20 passengers were safely evacuated.

“Through tireless efforts by the police team and fire service unit amidst the smoke to enter the bus, it was discovered that in the said incident, 9 persons were found dead inside the bus due to burning or suffocation.”