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Police press conference on the fatal accident between a school bus and a truck
Photo: Illinois State Police Troop 6 / AP
A truck collided with a school bus on a highway in the US state of Illinois.
Three children and two adults were killed.
As the police announced at a press conference, the school bus drove into the oncoming lane near the town of Rushville "for unknown reasons."
A semi-trailer truck loaded with sand came towards him.
Both vehicles burst into flames.
There were three children between the ages of three and five on the school bus, as well as the 57-year-old bus driver.
A 72-year-old driver was behind the wheel of the truck.
None of those involved survived the accident.
"Schuyler County is a small community," said Bill Redshaw, the head of the local police department.
»Such a loss is devastating.
It's a tragedy.« According to official figures, around 3,200 people live in Rushville.
The place is almost 350 kilometers southwest of Chicago.
The district's schools canceled classes on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The exact cause of the accident should now be investigated.
Autopsies were ordered for the bodies.
zob/AP