Bangkok: Twenty migrant workers from Myanmar were killed when their bus caught fire in northwestern Thailand on Friday, the police said.

The workers were travelling to a factory district near Bangkok when their chartered bus was engulfed in flames around 1.30 a.m. in Tak Province, the Bangkok Post reported.

The double-decker bus was carrying 47 Myanmar workers, out of which 27 managed to escape the inferno, said Col. Krissana Pattanacharoen, a Royal Thai Police spokesman.

The cause of the fire was not yet known, he said. Initial reports said that the engine of the bus caught fire which spread quickly through the vehicle.

Police said the fire was so intense that identifying the dead would require experts. One officer at the scene told the daily that he could not distinguish between male and female corpses.

The authorities were planning to interview the driver, who survived the fire.

The workers who were killed on Friday had passed the lengthy new registration process to work in the country, reports said.

Thailand has the world's highest rate of road traffic deaths, according to World Health Organisation data from 2013. In 2015, it was found to have the second highest road fatality rate behind Libya.

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Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Sunday said the Union agriculture ministry has awarded it a Certificate of Commendation for securing second rank among 'large states' in the overall performance in implementing PMFBY, a Central Crop Insurance Scheme.

The Chief Minister's Office shared the certificate issued by Muktanand Agrawal, Chief Executive Officer, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) dated January 14.

According to the certificate, Karnataka achieved the second position for its performance during the Kharif 2024 and Rabi 2024-25 seasons.

The ministry appreciated the efforts of the State Government and its team of officers for the effective implementation of the crop insurance scheme, which aims to provide financial protection to farmers against crop losses.

The PMFBY is a Central flagship scheme designed to support farmers by ensuring timely compensation for crop damage due to natural calamities, pests and diseases, while also encouraging the adoption of modern agricultural practices.