'Tire failure' listed as potential cause of fatal Mississippi bus crash: NTSB
The potential cause of the fatal bus accident in Mississippi that left two young siblings and five other passengers dead, and several others injured, has been revealed.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that the early Saturday morning crash was believed to be caused by "tire failure."
"The NTSB, in coordination with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, is sending a go-team to conduct a safety investigation into Saturday’s crash involving a motorcoach roadway departure and roll-over after experiencing a tire failure while on Interstate 20 near Vicksburg, Mississippi," NTSB Newsroom wrote in a post on X.
The Mississippi Highway Patrol says the one-vehicle crash involving a 2018 Volvo commercial passenger bus happened around 12:40 a.m. in Warren County.
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Tood Inman, a member of NTSB, spoke during a press conference Saturday night and said that a go-team of 17 people would be on the scene Sunday morning and continue to investigate the crash.
"Let me first give our condolences to everyone that was affected by this crash. The hearts of all the people from NTSB goes out to you," Inman said.
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When asked what type of tire failure occurred, Inman said they are looking at three or four different factors that could have contributed to the crash.
Inman said those factors would include looking at the motor safety carrier itself, a Mexican carrier operating in the U.S., tire maintenance, and occupant protection.
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"Six passengers were pronounced deceased on the scene, and one died at Merit Health Hospital in Vicksburg," the Mississippi Highway Patrol said in a statement. "Thirty-seven passengers were transported to different hospitals in Vicksburg and Jackson with unknown injuries. The co-driver was not transported."
Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey told Fox News Digital that two of the deceased victims, ages 6 and 16, were siblings.
Inman added that they do not yet know what the itinerary of the bus was and will continue to learn more as the investigation is ongoing. Once the bus's information is downloaded, Inman said it should tell them where the bus was traveling from, and it's manifest.
Fox News Digital's Greg Norman contributed to this report.