Six people have been killed after a crash involving five vehicles, including a bus transporting high school students, in Ohio.
The vehicles were travelling westbound on Interstate 70 in Licking County on Tuesday morning when the crash happened and three caught fire.
Three people on the bus were pronounced dead at the scene – 18-year-old John Mosely and 15-year-old Katelyn Owens, both from Mineral City, along with 18-year-old Jeffery Worrell, from Bolivar.
The bus driver and 15 pupils were taken to hospital.
All three people in one of the passenger vehicles involved were also killed. They were Dave Kennat, 56, from Navarre, Kristy Gaynor, 39, from Zoar, and Shannon Wigfield, 45, from Bolivar.
The driver of the other passenger vehicle was also taken to a hospital, along with the driver of one of the commercial vehicles – their injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Another commercial vehicle driver was treated at the scene.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said: “This is our worst nightmare, when we have a bus full of children involved in a crash. Prayers go out to the families, everyone who was on the bus.”
The Red Cross sent 30 units of blood to a hospital in the Mount Carmel Health System to help victims, said Marita Salkowski, regional communications director for the American Red Cross of Central and Southern Ohio.
A centre was also set up at a United Methodist Church in Etna where bus passengers not in need of medical attention could go to contact loved ones.
