Authorities say at least 20 people were killed when a fire broke out in a bus at an informal stop on the northern outskirts of Peru's capital.

Fire department spokesman Lewis Mejia said Sunday the blaze took place while the bus was at a stop where poor people catch buses, often at lower fares than the formal, more-regulated bus stops.

Mejia told television station N most of the dead were on the second deck of the burned bus, which was from the company Sajy Bus. The vehicle didn't have fire extinguishers. It was reportedly an interprovincial bus heading to a northern city.

According to the most recent figures, 2,826 people died in traffic accidents in Peru during 2017, most in crashes. There are few cases of deaths in bus fires.