A school bus crash took place in Chattanooga, Tennessee resulting to the death of six children. A total of 35 students were on board when the incident took place Monday.
CNN reported that the school bus slammed into a tree causing it to split apart. A spokeswoman for the Hamilton County District Attorney's Office confirmed the death toll but the scene was still active that is why the Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher did not give a precise number of children killed in the crash.
The children on the bus are said to be from the kindergarten until the fifth grade. They are attending Woodmore Elementary School. Officials are saying that the bus turned over on its side before striking a tree.
Authorities were called to the scene just before 3:30 p.m. The process of removing all of the children inside the bus took hours before it was completed.
A total of 23 victims were taken to the Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. It is unclear what the cause of death of the killed victims was, CBS News reported.
"Certainly, speed is being investigated very, very strongly as a factor in this crash," Fletcher said of the possible reason for the crash. The driving conditions were also clear and dry during the crash. A warrant was issued to remove the informational box on the school bus in order to review the video and see what took place before the crash.
The driver is said to be cooperative and is now talking to investigators. The National Transportation Safety Board is also requested to check the area to help with the investigation.
Governor Bill Haslam released an issue regarding the matter. He said that the government's thoughts and prayers are with the victim in the tragic school bus crash. He pointed out that it is always a sad situation when a crash involves children. Haslam promised to do what they can in order to assist the families as well as the local authorities.
