7 killed from bus crash in U.S. state of New Mexico

New Mexico police said seven people were killed following a Greyhound bus crash Thursday afternoon.

Police said via Twitter that the majority of passengers were transported to area hospitals with varying degrees of injuries. They continue to gather information regarding the extent of the injuries sustained by passengers.

According to the police, a preliminary investigation indicated a semi-truck traveling on Interstate 40 eastbound suffered a tire blowout and crossed the median into oncoming westbound traffic. The semi-truck collided head on with a westbound Greyhound passenger bus carrying more than 48 passengers.

The driver of the semi-truck sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash. The crash led to the shutdown of the westbound Interstate 40 near Thoreau, about 170 kilometers northwest of Albuquerque, the largest city in the state of New Mexico.

The police said the origination and destination of the bus remain unconfirmed, but local media reported earlier that the bus was traveling from Albuquerque to Phoenix, Arizona.