Two persons, including a woman, were on Tuesday charred to death and two others injured when the ambulance van they were travelling in caught fire, about 30 km from Kochi, police said.

The deceased have been identified as James (72), a patient, and his daughter Ambli (46), police said.

The van, carrying James from Wayanad district to a private hospital at Kottayam, suddenly caught fire, police said.

Fire service personnel put out the fire.

The injured have been admitted to the Kottayam government hospital.