BOVINA, Mississippi — Seven people were killed and dozens were injured in Mississippi after a commercial bus overturned on Interstate 20 on Saturday morning, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
Six passengers were pronounced dead at the scene and another died at a hospital, according to a news release. The bus was traveling west when it left the highway near Bovina in Warren County and flipped over. No other vehicle was involved.
A damaged bus is shown after several people were killed and dozens injured after the commercial bus overturned on Interstate 20 early Saturday, Aug. 31 2024 in Warren County, Miss., according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol. PHOTO BY WAPT VIA APThe crash was caused by tire failure, the National Transportation Safety Board said on the social media platform X. The bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. A woman who answered the phone at its Laredo, Texas, office said it was aware of the crash, but she didn't answer questions or provide her name.
The transit company says it has 20 years of experience providing cross-border trips between 100 destinations in Mexico and the US Its website promotes "a modern fleet of buses that receive daily maintenance," and offers "trips with a special price for workers."
The dead included a 6-year-old boy and his 16-year-old sister, according to Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey. They were identified by their mother. Authorities were working to identify the other victims, he said.
Thirty-seven passengers were taken to hospitals in Vicksburg and Jackson. The department is continuing its investigation and hasn't released the names of the deceased. No other information was immediately provided.