A BRT (bus rapid transit) bus caught fire in the city of Xiamen in Fujian Province at about 6:30 pm (4 pm IST), said an official from the municipal government.
The fire broke out when the bus was 500 meters away from the Jinshan bus stop, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.
The bus was burned to its frame. Some witnesses said they heard explosions about ten minutes after the fire broke out, the report said.
A slightly injured passenger surnamed Yang said she was using her mobile phone when she smelled gasoline and saw another passenger smashing the window in an attempt to escape.
The fire spread quickly, she recalled.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, the report said.