(CNN) — Eight inmates and two correctional officers were killed in a bus crash Wednesday morning outside Penwell, Texas, authorities said.
Five people — four inmates and one staff member — were taken to an Odessa hospital for medical treatment, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said.
A hospital representative said four of the injured were in critical condition and one was in serious condition.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of those killed and injured this morning in a tragic accident. Their loved ones will be in our thoughts and prayers,” said Brad Livingston, the department’s executive director.
The accident occurred when the bus “left the roadway” and collided with a train.
The bus was traveling from a prison facility in Abilene to one in El Paso, the department said in a news release.
The NTSB is investigating.
