According to a report by the Sun Herald, a charter bus appears to have been stuck on the railroad tracks at the Main Street crossing in Biloxi on Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. A Freight Train crashed into the bus, killing at least four and injuring 34 passengers. However, the number of injured varies from report to report, with the New York Post writing that 40 people were injured, seven critically.
The bus was reportedly carrying 46 seniors from the Mississippi Coast, heading to Austin, Texas. The passengers were a group from the Bastrop Senior Center enjoying a seven-day trip.
They had just visited Hollywood in Bay St. Louis and their next stop was Boomtown.
In a press conference shortly after the crash, Biloxi Police Chief John Miller first confirmed three fatalities in the accident. However, Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove later said a fourth person died at Merit Health. Hargrove said that the victims were two men and two women and that their identities would be released later.
Jaws of Life were needed to remove some passengers
Biloxi Fire Chief Joe Boney said firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to remove two people from the mangled wreckage. It was also necessary to use ladders to remove other passengers. According to a spokesman from Biloxi, Vincent Creel, the driver was alert immediately after the crash and was speaking with medical staff, however, it is not clear if he was taken to hospital.
Creel further said the freight train was eastbound at the time of the accident, crashing into the northboard charter bus and pushing it around 300 feet.
Four die as CSX freight train hits bus in Biloxi, Miss. https://t.co/KsnoPnFpZG pic.twitter.com/35cbAx9FqS
— ZULEYDI P (@zuleydi_perez) March 7, 2017
Still unknown why the charter bus was stuck on the tracks
Miller said officials are still unclear on the reason for the charter bus getting stuck on the tracks and he wasn’t sure at this time if there was an engine problem.
The operators of the bus, CSX Transportation, have reportedly sent investigators to try and establish what went wrong.
Four dead, 35 injured after freight train hits bus in Mississippihttps://t.co/T4bHLnxVNJ
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) March 7, 2017
Miller did say this isn’t the first accident of this nature to happen in Biloxi. In fact, this is the second time in two months that a vehicle has been struck by a train at the Main Street crossing.
The train track is on an embankment and reportedly a Pepsi-Cola delivery truck got stuck on the steep grade. While the driver got out safely and phoned for help, the train was not able to stop in time.
