A school bus hit a truck and rolled over a New Jersey highway on Thursday, killing two people and injuring 40 others, officials said.
The accident took place shortly before 10:30 am local time, on Interstate 80, in the community of Mount Olive, about 100 kilometers west of New York.
Starting from the town of Paramus, some 80 km away, the bus was carrying 45 people, 38 children going on field trips as part of their science class, accompanied by seven adults, according to the authorities.
He hit a garbage truck before tipping over. Photos on social media showed the bus lying by the highway slideway, the front completely broken and the bodywork detached from the chassis.
During a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, the authorities confirmed that a student and a teacher had died, without providing more details about their identity.
All the other passengers on the bus were injured, some seriously, as well as the truck driver, said New Jersey State Governor Phil Murphy, who visited the scene.
The cause of the accident is unknown for the moment. An investigation has been opened.
Psychological support cells have been set up to help families.
Local school authorities have indicated that all excursions will be canceled until the end of the year.