Ten people died when a taxi burst into flames in Mthatha on Wednesday, Eastern Cape police said.

Superintendent Mzukisi Fatyela said the taxi hit a bakkie at an intersection before slamming into a cement wall.

"It caught alight and ten people that were trapped inside burnt to death."

Eight were adults and two were children.

Four others managed to jump out of the burning vehicle and were taken to hospital with critical injuries. No one in the bakkie was injured.

Fatyela said it was unknown which driver was at fault, as both vehicles were coming from different directions and went through the intersection at the same time.