7 dead after bus overturns on highway in US, accident caused by tyre failure

Seven people were killed and dozens were injured in Mississippi after a commercial bus overturned on Interstate 20 on Saturday morning (local time), 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 travelling west when it left the highway near Bovina in Warren County and flipped over. No other vehicle was involved.

The crash was caused by tyre failure, the Transportation Safety Board said on X. The bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. A woman who answered the phone at its Laredo, Texas, office said she was aware of the crash but 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 those who died. No other information was immediately provided.