Federal investigators start probe of bus crash in Mississippi that killed 7, injured dozens more

BOVINA, Madam. — Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board responded to a bus crash in Mississippi on Sunday that killed seven people and injured dozens more.

They plan to look at how well the tires were maintained, NTSB member Todd Inman said at a news conference late Saturday. The NTSB previously said the crash was caused by a flat tire.

The 2018 Volvo van was traveling westbound on Interstate 20 near Bovina in Warren County early Saturday morning when it left the road and overturned, the Mississippi Highway Patrol said. No other vehicle was involved.

Six people on board were pronounced dead at the scene and another died at a hospital, according to a news release from the highway patrol. Thirty-six people were taken to hospitals by ambulance.

The highway police had no update on the situation on Sunday.

The dead included a 6-year-old boy and his 16-year-old sister, Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey said. They were identified by their mother. Authorities were working to identify the other victims, he said.

According to highway patrol, the bus was traveling from Atlanta to Dallas with 41 passengers and two drivers.

Inman said the NTSB will also look at carrier safety and the protection of bus passengers.

The bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. A woman who answered the phone at the office in Laredo, Texas, said they were aware of the crash, but she did not answer questions or give her name.

The transportation company says it has 20 years of experience providing cross-border travel between 100 destinations in Mexico and the U.S. Its website advertises “a modern fleet of buses that are serviced daily” and offers “special-price trips for employees.”