A tragic bus crash in Mississippi claimed the lives of seven people, including a 16-year-old girl and her 6-year-old brother, following an apparent tire failure that caused the motor coach to veer off the road and overturn, according to authorities.
The accident occurred early Saturday morning, east of Vicksburg, Mississippi, and resulted in injuries to 37 other passengers, officials reported.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed preliminary findings from their investigation into the incident. The crash, which took place near Vicksburg on Interstate 20, involved a motor coach that left the roadway and rolled over after experiencing a tire failure.
Among the deceased were three men and two women, in addition to the teenage girl and her younger brother. All of the victims were from Mexico.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) and the Commercial Transportation Enforcement Division are leading the investigation into the crash. The NTSB, working in coordination with the MHP, has dispatched a team to conduct a thorough safety investigation.
According to the Mississippi Highway Patrol, six victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while one person succumbed to their injuries at Merit Health Hospital in Vicksburg. Authorities noted that the co-driver of the bus did not require hospitalization.
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The fatal crash involved a 2018 Volvo commercial passenger bus traveling westbound on Interstate 20 when it went off the road just before 1 a.m. local time on Saturday. The identities of those who lost their lives are expected to be released by the Mississippi Highway Patrol later on Sunday.
