8 dead and 8 critically injured in severe bus crash in Florida

Eight people are dead and another eight are critically injured after a bus carrying farm workers crashed and overturned early Tuesday morning in north central Florida, officials said.

The crash involved a 2010 International Bus transporting farm workers and a 2001 Ford Ranger truck and unfolded on State Road 40, 500 feet west of SW 148 Court at 6:35 a.m., the Florida Highway Patrol said. The crash site is about 45 miles south of Gainesville.

The two vehicles sideswiped each other, and the bus traveled off the roadway through a fence and overturned, FHP said.

Eight people were killed and 37 were hospitalized — eight of whom are critically injured, the Marion County Fire Rescue confirmed to NBC News.

In total there were 53 patients in the crash, MCFR said.

AdventHealth Ocala said they were treating 16 patients, with 12 in the main emergency department at AdventHealth Ocala and four at AdventHealth Timber Ridge ER, Chief Medical Officer of AdventHealth Ocala, Dr. Rodrigo Torres, said in a statement. 

Some people involved in the crash were also transported HCA Florida Ocala Hospital. 

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. It’s not clear what caused the two vehicles to initially collide. 

The workers were headed to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon, NBC affiliate WESH of Orlando reported, citing the FHP. 

Cannon Farms announced on social media early Tuesday that it’d be closed “out of respect to the losses and injuries endured early this morning in the accident that took place to the Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp.”

“Please pray with us for the families and the loved ones involved in this tragic accident,” Cannon Farms said. “We appreciate your understanding at this difficult time.”

NBC News has reached out to the farm as well as Olvera Trucking. 

Marion County Public Schools said one of their school buses was not involve din the crash, but did transport victims to the hospital, WESH reported.

SR-40 is shut down in both directions amid the investigation.

This is a developing story. Please return for updates.