Six people were killed and four injured in a bus-car crash in Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday, local police have confirmed.

A car caught fire after slamming into an oncoming bus on a highway at about 11:30 a.m., killing the driver and all five passengers in it, the police said.

The bus also caught alight after the collision, however its 27 passengers managed to escape by smashing a window and escaping through it.

Four of the bus passengers were slightly injured. One was still in hospital while the other three had been sent home.

The accident occurred on a road linking Bole City with Jinghe County, both in Bortala Prefecture, when the bus was traveling from Bole to Karamay City.

Local police are investigating the cause of the accident.