Sixteen people were killed and about 40 injured after a bus carrying Hungarian students burst into flames on a highway in northern Italy, police and the fire service said on Saturday.

The bus went off the road near a highway exit close to the city of Verona overnight. The local highway police chief said it was carrying mostly teenage students, teachers and parents.

"Many children among the victims of the accident in Verona, a bus catches fire on impact with a pillar," national police said.

Local highway police chief Girolamo Lacquaniti told some people had minor injuries, but others were more serious.

Lacquaniti said the cause of the crash would be investigated. "We are not aware of other vehicles being involved, it seems to have gone off the road of its own accord." Police released photographs and television footage of the burned-out hulk near a road bridge. The wreckage had been removed from the road by around 0800 GMT.

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