Indian girl killed in bus crash in US

An Indian girl was killed and 38 people injured when a double decker bus apparently blew a tire, skidded and slammed into a pillar in the US state of Illinois.

Illinois state police have identified the victim as Aditi Avhad, 24. Police said she was a native of India and was travelling to Columbia.

The accident, which occurred when the bus with 64 passengers traveling between Chicago and Kansas City slammed into an Illinois interstate bridge support pillar Thursday, left more than three dozen people injured.

"Avhad was a graduate student at the university in Columbia, which was on the route of the bus," Christian Basi, spokesman for the University of Missouri said.

About 38 people were admitted to hospitals and were being treated for injuries sustained in the crash.

Crews had to use ladders to climb into the bus and rescue the passengers trapped inside.

Passengers on the bus described a scene of chaos and panic, with people moaning and crying as the bus hit the pillar.

"There was a lot of screaming and crying," 16-year-old passenger Baysha Collins said.

"There was blood everywhere. I was just in shock." Collins said she was seated on the upper deck of the bus when, "all of a sudden, I heard a big boom. It felt like the wheel was skidding. It felt like the bus was going to tip over."

A spokeswoman for the bus company Megabus said the bus was carrying 81 passengers and crashed near Litchfield, about 55 miles northeast of St Louis.

In a statement, Megabus said it is working with law enforcement authorities to investigate the cause of the crash.

"Safety remains our number one priority," the statement said. "The thoughts and prayers of our entire staff go out to the passengers involved."

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