Children on a school trip were burned alive when the bus burst into flames in Thailand today.

The coach was carrying kids from the Wat Khao Phraya Sangkharam School in Uthai Thani province when it caught fire on a road in Pathum Thani province on the outskirts of Bangkok at around 12:38 pm local time.

Dramatic footage shows flames engulfing the entire vehicle as firefighters battled to put out the inferno.

Officials said at least 10 children were killed. They said they were in Grade 3, making them around nine or ten years old.

Pictures from the scene showed their charred corpses in the burned-out vehicle. Firemen took some of the children who were able to escape the blaze into a nearby building, where they were seen being counted.

Rescue workers said that at least 19 out of the 42 passengers, including teachers and pupils have been rescued, while others remained missing.

The cause of the fire was under investigation and police have cordoned off the area.