Four people were killed and dozens injured after a train hit a charter bus Tuesday in Biloxi, Mississippi, officials said.

Biloxi Police Chief John Miller described the crash as a "terrible, chaotic scene" at a press conference, adding that 35 people have been hospitalized.

A total of 46 passengers were on the bus when the crash happened, according to Miller.

Officials initially said four people died in the crash and then revised it down to three, but Vincent Creel, a spokesman for the city of Biloxi, told the Associated Press after consulting with the coroner's office that they can confirm that four were killed in the incident.

The CSX freight train was traveling east when it collided with the charter bus that was heading north around 2:15 p.m. local time and pushed it nearly 300 feet down the tracks, according to Miller.

"I just want everyone to know that we're doing everything we can do to help everyone on that bus," Miller said.

Biloxi Mayor Andrew "FoFo" Gilich called it a "tragic day" for the city, and asked for thoughts and prayers for those affected.

Emergency crews were spotted still removing people from the bus through the emergency windows 30 minutes after the initial crash, WLOX-TV reported. A witness reported most of the passengers on the bus were senior citizens.

Miller said the bus, operated by Echo Transportation, was out of Austin, Texas.

Ameet Patel, Senior Vice President of Regional Operations for Penn National Gaming, owner of Hollywood Gulf Coast Casino and Boomtown Biloxi Casino, said in a statement to WLOX-TV the bus was traveling from Hollywood in Bay St. Louis to Boomtown in Biloxi.

"It is with deep regret and sympathy that we can confirm the private charter bus that collided with a train this afternoon in Biloxi was transporting patrons from our Hollywood Gulf Coast Casino in Bay St. Louis to our Boomtown Biloxi Casino approximately 45 miles away," the statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who tragically lost their lives and all those affected by this accident. As this is an ongoing law enforcement matter, we are withholding any further comment and are referring all calls to the Biloxi Police Department, with whom we are cooperating fully on their investigation."

The single track area where the crash took place is the CSX mainline along the Gulf Coast, passing through densely populated areas of southern Mississippi.

CSX officials told WLOX-TV all train traffic through the area has been stopped as a result of the crash.

"CSX personnel are working with first responders at a collision of a freight train and passenger bus in Biloxi, Miss," CSX spokesman Gary Sease said in a statement to WLOX-TV. "The collision this afternoon occurred at the Main Street crossing. The eastbound mixed freight train, traveling from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala., had three locomotives and 52 cars – 27 loaded cars and 25 empty cars. The crossing has flashing lights and crossing gates. Authorities in Biloxi report three fatalities and many injuries, and our thoughts are with all involved. The train crew was not injured."

The train crossing that was the site of the crash has seen previous trouble, according to WLOX. Two months ago, a separate CSX train slammed a Pepsi delivery truck that got stuck on the tracks. There is a low clearance sign located near the intersection to warn drivers.

Read more from WLOX.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Four people were killed and dozens injured after a train hit a charter bus Tuesday in Biloxi, Mississippi, officials said.</s>(BILOXI, Miss.) — A freight train smashed into a charter bus in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Tuesday, dragging the bus 300 feet down the tracks and leaving at least three people dead, authorities said.

Images from the scene show the bus, upright and still intact, straddling the tracks, with the CSX train pushed up against its left side.

The bus was carrying 50 people from Austin, Texas, Biloxi Police Chief John Miller said at a news conference. He said authorities believe the bus was stopped on the tracks at the time of the crash, but they don't yet know why.

At least three people were killed, according to Biloxi city spokesman Vincent Creel, who said emergency responders were still removing injured people from the bus more than 30 minutes after the crash, pulling many through windows.

Witnesses told WLOX-TV that passengers were senior citizens. Charter buses often carry patrons to one of Biloxi's eight casinos, but Creel said he wasn't sure where the bus was headed.

"I want you to know we're doing everything we can to get everyone off this bus," Miller said.

The CSX train, pulled by three locomotives, was headed eastbound when it hit the bus at a crossing in downtown Biloxi just before 2:15p.m., pushing the bus about 300 feet down the tracks, Creel said. The single track is the CSX mainline along the Gulf Coast, passing through densely populated areas of southern Mississippi.

A nearby hospital set up a triage unit at the site to treat the injured, and helicopters were carrying the injured to hospitals that handle trauma cases.

The bus was marked as belonging to Echo Transportation, which Texas corporate records show is a unit of a company called TBL Group, based in Grand Prairie, near Dallas. A phone message and an email left for Echo were not immediately returned.

CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.</s>A freight train smashed into a charter bus in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Tuesday, pushing the bus 300 feet down the tracks and leaving at least four people dead, authorities said.

Images from the scene show the bus, upright and still intact, straddling the tracks, with the CSX train pushed up against its left side.

The bus was carrying 50 people from Austin, Texas, Biloxi police Chief John Miller said at a news conference. He said authorities believe the bus was stopped on the tracks at the time of the crash, but they don't yet know why.

Fire Chief Joe Boney says three people died before they could be taken to hospitals, while a fourth person died after being taken from the scene. Boney say 35 passengers were taken to area hospitals. He says emergency workers had to cut through the bus wreckage to remove two people.

Witnesses told WLOX-TV that passengers were senior citizens. Charter buses often carry patrons to one of Biloxi's eight casinos, but Creel said he wasn't sure where the bus was headed.

"I want you to know we're doing everything we can to get everyone off this bus," Miller said.

The CSX train, pulled by three locomotives, was headed east when it hit the bus at a crossing in downtown Biloxi just before 2:15p.m., pushing the bus about 300 feet down the tracks, Creel said. The single track is the CSX mainline along the Gulf Coast, passing through densely populated areas of southern Mississippi.

A nearby hospital set up a triage unit at the site to treat the injured, and helicopters were carrying the injured to hospitals that handle trauma cases.

The bus was marked as belonging to Echo Transportation, which Texas corporate records show is a unit of a company called TBL Group, based in Grand Prairie, near Dallas. A phone message and an email left for Echo were not immediately returned.

CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.</s>UPDATE AT 4:43 P.M. – Witnesses on the scene tell WKRG that the bus appeared to be stuck on the tracks. Austin Dominey told Alison Spann, “The bus in front of us was stopped and I was wondering why is it stopped? There’s a train coming. It looked like he had bottomed out at the top of that hill. When he was starting to back up that’s when the train collided into him and he went almost two blocks down the road with the train.”

UPDATE AT 4:10 P.M. – Officials in Biloxi tell News 5 in a press conference that four people died in the train and bus collision this afternoon. We have also learned from television station KXAN in Texas that the charter bus originated from the Austin area according to law enforcement officials.

UPDATE at 4:00 P.M. – CSX says three people died when a train and charter bus collided. Below is the statement from CSX:

“CSX personnel are working with first responders at a collision of a freight train and passenger bus in Biloxi, Miss. The collision this afternoon occurred at the Main Street crossing. The eastbound mixed freight train, traveling from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala., had three locomotives and 52 cars – 27 loaded cars and 25 empty cars. The crossing has flashing lights and crossing gates. Authorities in Biloxi report three fatalities and many injuries, and our thoughts are with all involved. The train crew was not injured.”

UPDATE at 3:15 P.M. – New information from the Associated Press: A train has collided with a charter bus in Biloxi, Mississippi, causing an unknown number of deaths and injuries. Biloxi city spokesman Vincent Creel says emergency responders were still removing injured people from the bus more than 30 minutes after the crash Tuesday. Creel says a CSX train headed eastbound hit the bus at a crossing in downtown Biloxi just before 2:15 p.m., pushing the bus about 300 feet down the tracks. He says a nearby hospital is setting up a triage unit at the site to treat the injured. Creel says as many as 50 people were on the bus. He said there are deaths and injuries, but he could not immediately quantify them. Charter buses often carry patrons to casinos in Biloxi, but Creel says he doesn’t know where this bus was headed.

BREAKING NEWS: Fire and rescue crews are working quickly to help passengers on a charter bus after it was hit by a train along Main Street in Biloxi. The Biloxi Police Department wants people to avoid Main Street and the area south of the railroad tracks. As you can see in the pictures taken by the Sun Herald newspaper, firefighters pulled passengers off the bus through its broken windows. Passengers are sitting in a grassy area and receiving medical treatment. News 5 has a crew on the way and we will have more updates right here on wkrg.com. First responders have set up a triage area to help the injured.</s>BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — A freight train smashed into a charter bus in a coastal Mississippi city on Tuesday, pushing the bus 300 feet down the tracks and leaving at least four people dead, authorities said. Rescuers spent more than an hour removing passengers, cutting through the bus’s heavily damaged frame to extract the last two.

The bus could be seen straddling the tracks, with a CSX Transportation locomotive pushed up against its left side. The bus was apparently stopped on the tracks when the 52-car train, pulled by three locomotives, slammed into it, said Biloxi Police Chief John Miller.

“We’re not sure why,” Miller said. “We don’t know if there were mechanical issues or what was taking place.”

Miller said passengers on the Echo Transportation bus had come from Austin, Texas, carrying passengers to one of Biloxi’s eight casinos. Ameet Patel, senior vice president of regional operations for Penn National Gaming, owner of Hollywood Gulf Coast Casino in Bay St. Louis and Boomtown Biloxi Casino, said the bus was traveling from the Hollywood casino to the Boomtown casino at the time of the crash.

“It’s a terrible tragedy,” Miller said. “I know there’s a lot of families that are going to be impacted here.”

There were conflicting reports of the number killed in the crash. Officials initially said four people died and then revised it down to three. But Vincent Creel, a spokesman for the city of Biloxi, later said after consulting with the coroner’s office that four were killed.

“Any time you have a major incident like this, the information can change,” he said.

The names of the dead have not been released.

Michelle Crowley of the Biloxi fire department said 40 people were injured; of those, seven were in critical condition.

A woman who lives about a block from where the train and bus finally came to a stop after the train crashed into the bus says she heard a “loud boom” and knew immediately what had happened.

Cecelia McDonald said she ran out of her house and saw a scene of carnage.

Witnesses told the Sun Herald of Biloxi that the bus was stuck on the tracks for about five minutes before he saw the train hit it. Mark Robinson said some people were getting off the bus as the driver tried to move it, and at least one person was shoved under the bus when the train hit. A nearby car was used as a stepladder after the crash to get people off the bus, and emergency workers pulled passengers through windows.

Robinson said he thinks the train track, which is on an embankment, poses safety issues.

In addition to bells, warning lights and crossing arms, the crossing has yellow signs warning drivers that it has low ground clearance.

Biloxi Fire Chief Joe Boney says rescuers needed one hour and four minutes to clear everyone from the wreckage. Two people had to be cut out of the bus.

Creel, the city spokesman, said 48 passengers and the driver were on the bus; a bus manifest had listed 50 passengers but two of them did not make the trip.

Medical workers from a hospital blocks away set up a triage area at the scene, and helicopters carried some of the passengers to other hospitals.

The train was headed from New Orleans to Mobile, Alabama, at the time of the crash, said CSX spokesman Gary Sease. He said the train crew was not injured. The single track is the CSX mainline along the Gulf Coast, passing through densely populated areas of southern Mississippi.

Federal Railroad Agency records show 10 trains a day typically use the track, with a maximum speed of 45 mph. Records show there have been 16 accidents at the crossing since 1976, including in 1983 and 2003, each of which involved one fatality. A delivery truck was also struck at the same crossing in January, WLOX-TV reports. No one was injured in that crash.

The bus was marked as belonging to Echo Transportation, which Texas corporate records show is a unit of a company called TBL Group, based in Grand Prairie, near Dallas.

“We can’t confirm anything at this point,” said Elisa Fox, a lawyer for the bus company. “We’re trying to mobilize to assess the situation.”

Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Marc Willis said the agency is sending three inspectors to investigate, while Mississippi is sending one. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is also investigating.

This is a developing story. Stay with 8News online and on air for the latest updates.

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Find 8News on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; send your news tips to iReport8@wric.com.</s>A freight train smashed into a charter bus in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Tuesday, dragging the bus 300 feet down the tracks and leaving at least four people dead, authorities said.The train was a CSX freight with a lot of weight up front: three engines pulling 52 rail cars, with half of them full. And dead ahead of it was a bus stuck on the tracks filled with senior citizens who had almost arrived for a casino outing.The bus from Austin, Texas was broadsided at Main Street Crossing in Biloxi, a resort town on the Gulf of Mexico in southern Mississippi.Even as some of the 43 passengers were trying to get off and save their own lives, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board headed to the scene and will take charge of the case.There were conflicting reports of the number killed in the crash. Officials initially said four people died and then revised it down to three. But Vincent Creel, a spokesman for the city of Biloxi, later said after consulting with the coroner's office that four were killed.Creel emphasized it's a "very fluid situation.""Any time you have a major incident like this, the information can change," he said.The names of the dead have not been released.Michelle Crowley of the Biloxi fire department said 40 people were injured; of those, seven were in critical condition.An eyewitness tells a chilling story of the approaching disaster."The tracks were too high to make it over. He tried to go in reverse and it wouldn't move so he tried to go forward again and it still couldn't move. Within this time frame the train was trying to stop. But the momentum was too great. When the train hit the bus - there were people that did get off - about six. There were four others that were trying to get off - those people were hit by the bus - and they were flown either under the train or underneath the bus," said Mark Robinson, a witness.Images from the scene shot the bus, upright and still intact, straddling the tracks, with the CSX train pushed up against its left side.A nearby hospital set up a triage unit at the site to treat the injured, and helicopters were carrying the injured to hospitals that handle trauma cases.The bus was marked as belonging to Echo Transportation, which Texas corporate records show is a unit of a company called TBL Group, based in Grand Prairie, near Dallas. A phone message and an email left for Echo were not immediately returned. The train was headed from New Orleans to Alabama.The I-Team found a posted warning at that crossing - an alert to motorists that about a dangerous ground clearance - especially so for longer vehicles. In early January, a delivery truck got stuck here, just as the bus did today. The Pepsi driver got out before a CSX train slammed into his truck. No one was hurt that day, but two months later it has happened again with fatal results.Less than three weeks ago emergency officials and rescue workers in Biloxi ran a drill to deal with this very scenario: train into truck and lots of people hurt. They had to put that training into play on Tuesday, but still ended up with four dead and dozens hurt.CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The crossing has flashing lights and crossing gates, CSX said in a statement.</s>At least 3 people are dead in a deadly crash between a freight train and a packed charter bus in Mississippi. Another 40 people were injured when when the train smashed into the bus.</s>BILOXI, Miss. – At least three people were killed when a bus and a train collided Tuesday in Biloxi, Mississippi, authorities said.

This story is developing and will be updated as information becomes available.</s>At least four people have died and 35 people have been injured after a train collided with a bus in Mississippi.

The tour bus was pushed 91m (300ft) along the track following the crash in Biloxi.

A total of 43 people were on the bus at the time, and three of those who lost their lives died at the scene.

It is understood the bus had been stuck on the railroad for about five or 10 minutes when the train struck – and although officials are unsure why the bus had stopped, engine failure is a possibility.

Craig Robinson, who witnessed the crash, told the Sun Herald: My first instinct was to get down there and tell people to get off the bus, but by the time I got there the train had already hit it.

Rescuers have been removing trapped passengers through emergency windows, and at least one person has been taken to hospital by air ambulance.

The tour bus had been travelling from Austin in Texas when it crashed shortly after 2pm (8pm UK time), and it is thought those on board may have been heading to one of Biloxi’s eight casinos.

Biloxi’s police chief, John Miller, said: It’s a terrible tragedy and I know there’s a lot of families that are going to be impacted.

Mayor Andrew Gilich added that it was a tragic day for the city.

CSX Transportation, which was operating the freight train, said it was travelling from New Orleans to Alabama at the time of the crash – and its train crew was not injured.

A spokesman said the train had three locomotives, and 27 of the 52 cars were loaded.

(c) Sky News 2017: Dozens injured and four killed as train hits bus in Mississippi
A CSX Transportation freight train collides with a charter bus in Biloxi, Mississippi, killing at least four people and leaving dozens injured.