At least five people were charred to death and 38 others sustained injuries in a road mishap in the eastern Indian state of Odisha Thursday, a senior police official said.

"The mishap happened when a bus in which the victims were traveling rammed against a tree and caught fire in the state's Bolangir district. While five people were charred to death on the spot, those with burns and other injuries were rushed to a hospital by locals," he said on condition of anonymity.

Eyewitnesses told local TV channels that the accident took place after the driver lost control of the speeding vehicle.

However, a probe has been ordered into the incident, the official said, adding that a manhunt was also launched to track down the driver of the bus who fled after the mishap.