Karachi, Oct 13 (IANS): At least 18 people, including eight children, were killed and 28 others injured when a passenger bus in Pakistan's Jamshoro district caught fire due to the malfunctioning air conditioning system, police said on Thursday.

A top police official told the media that the incident took place when the bus reached the district's Nooriabad area, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the police, the initial investigation revealed that the fire erupted due to the vehicle's malfunctioning air conditioning system.

The passenger bus was on its way from Karachi to the Khairpur Nathan Shah area of the Dadu district.

Police, rescue teams and firefighters rushed to the site, doused the fire, and shifted the victims and injured to the Liaquat University Hospital in Jamshoro.

The police official added that nine women and eight children were among the victims.

The hospital officials feared that the death toll might rise because several of the injured were burnt severely and were in critical condition.

There were 55 passengers on board who belonged to the same village located in the Khairpur Nathan Shah area.