A shuttle bus carrying church members
home from a retreat has collided head-
on with a pick-up truck in south-western
Texas, killing 13 people and injuring two
others, officials said.
All of the victims who died were senior
adults who attended First Baptist Church
of New Braunfels, Texas.
A total of 14 seniors were on the bus and
the driver was the only person in the
pick-up when the vehicles collided on US
83 outside Garner State Park in northern
Uvalde County, according to Texas
Department of Public Safety Sergeant
Conrad Hein and a church statement.
DPS Lieutenant Johnny Hernandez said
the bus driver and 11 passengers died at
the scene of the crash and another
passenger died later at a hospital in San
Antonio, 75 miles away .
Mr Hernandez said the lone survivor
from the bus is in critical condition,
while the pick-up driver is stable.
It is not yet clear what caused the
collision about 120 miles from the
church. The National Transportation
Safety Board has sent investigators to
the scene, spokesman Terry Williams
said.
Photos and video of the aftermath
showed heavy damage to the front
drivers' sides of both vehicles. The back
of the bus was up on a guardrail, with
glass and debris scattered on to the grass
below.
Sgt Hein said the minibus was a 2004
Turtle Top, which makes buses with
capacities ranging from 17 to 51
passengers.
Church officials said in a statement on
the First Baptist website that the
members were returning from a three-
day retreat at the Alto Frio Baptist
Encampment in Leakey, about nine
miles north of where the crash
happened.
The church officials were "ministering to
family members to help them deal with
this tragedy", according to the statement.
Counsellors are scheduled to be available
on Thursday at the church.
Texas governor Greg Abbott and his wife
Cecilia offered their condolences after
the crash.
"We are saddened by the loss of life and
our hearts go out to all those affected,"
their statement said.
"We thank the first responders working
on the scene in the wake of this
unimaginable tragedy, and ask that all
Texans join us in offering their thoughts
and prayers."