At least 41 people were killed and six injured Friday, when an overloaded bus caught fire in central China.

China's official Xinhua news agency said 47 people were on board when the 35-seat bus caught fire early Friday in Xinyang City, Henan Province.

Xinhua said that among the six injured, one person was in critical condition in a hospital in Zhumadian City, while the other five, including the driver, were being treated in a hospital in Xinyang.

The report said the dead were burned beyond recognition and will have to be identified by DNA testing.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.