A Texas school bus carrying more than 40 students rolled onto its side after veering off a road while on its way to drop off students after their first day of class, injuring 12 people, authorities said.
The bus was carrying 43 people — 42 children and the bus driver — some of whom suffered serious injuries, Austin-Travis County officials said.
The incident occurred around 3.15 p.m. Wednesday, when the school bus, traveling south on Nameless Road, veered off the right side of the road “for an unknown reason” and rolled over, Department of Public Safety Sgt. Billy Ray said at a news conference.
“This tragedy this afternoon is really breaking our hearts,” Leander Independent School District Superintendent Bruce Gearing said, noting that the community is still reeling from the floods that devastated the state last month.
The bus, a 2024 vehicle equipped with state-regulated seatbelts, was primarily used to transport students from Bagdad Elementary School, Gearing said.