The bus was traveling from a unit in Abilene to El Paso at around 7:30 a.m. today when the accident occurred, Corrections Department Executive Director Brad Livingston said in the statement.
There was another accident at the top of the overpass that the bus tried to avoid, and in doing so, the bus may have hit black ice, Ector County Sheriff Mark Donaldson told ABC News.
After the collision, the bus was dragged for about 200 yards along the tracks before coming to a complete stop, causing a number of smaller accidents happened after the first collision.
"It`s with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of those killed and injured this morning in a tragic accident," Livingston said. "Their loved ones will be in our thoughts and prayers."
The investigation into the accident is ongoing and the National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to Odessa, Livingston said.
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