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One child and one adult were killed in New Jersey on Thursday when a school bus collided with a dump truck and flipped over, officials said.
At least 11 others were hospitalised with serious injuries, officials said, including one person in critical condition. The bus was carrying roughly 50 students from East Brook Middle School in Paramus when it crashed in Mount Olive, about 64km (40 miles) west of the school.
The calendar for the school shows a fifth-grade field trip to Waterloo Village, a recreated 19th-century town a few miles from the crash site, but the school board and the superintendent in Paramus were not immediately available to comment.
“It’s a terrible, terrible day for Paramus and we’re just sorting through everything right now,” said Paramus Mayor Richard LaBarbiera, who was at the scene of the crash. He declined to answer any questions about injuries or fatalities or offer further details.
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“The only thing I am going to say is pray for East Brook and pray for Paramus.”
The bus came to rest on its side in the grassy divider on I-80, its cabin twisted and slightly charred and ripped from its chassis. Gov Philip D Murphy, at an unrelated event on Thursday, briefly addressed the crash.
“There have been some serious casualties,” he said, noting that details were still coming in.
A spokeswoman for Atlantic Health System said that patients had been taken to Morristown Medical Center and Hackettstown Medical Center.
The crash happened around 10.30am on the westbound side of the highway near Exit 25, about an hour west of New York City. Many ambulances and emergency workers were on the scene. The National Transportation Safety Board is monitoring the crash, officials said.
"My gut is tied in knots," said Rep Josh Gottheimer, whose congressional district includes Paramus. "As a father, I am praying for every parent and child, and I hope that all those injured make a full recovery." – New York Times