Federal Investigators Examine Deadly Mississippi Bus Crash on I-20

BOVINA, Miss. — Federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are looking into a tragic bus crash in Mississippi that claimed the lives of seven people and injured many others.

On Saturday, the NTSB confirmed that the crash was caused by tire failure. Investigators are now focusing on how well the bus tires were maintained, according to Todd Inman, an NTSB member who spoke at a news conference on Saturday.

The incident occurred early Saturday morning on Interstate 20 near Bovina in Warren County. The bus, a 2018 Volvo, was traveling westbound when it left the road and overturned. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Six passengers died at the scene, and one more died later at the hospital. Thirty-six other passengers were taken to hospitals by ambulance, though their current conditions are not yet known.

Among the deceased were a 6-year-old boy and his 16-year-old sister, identified by their mother, according to Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey. Authorities are still working to identify the other victims.

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

Inman stated that the NTSB will also review the bus company's safety record and look into protections for bus passengers.

The bus was operated by Autobuses Regiomontanos. A representative from the company's office in Laredo, Texas, acknowledged awareness of the crash but did not provide further details.

Autobuses Regiomontanos has been in operation for 20 years, offering cross-border trips between 100 destinations in Mexico and the U.S. Their website promotes a "modern fleet of buses that receive daily maintenance" and advertises "special-priced trips for workers."