Student Dies, 6 Others Injured in Bus Crash During Field Trip: 'This Is a Very Sad Day,' School Says
One student was killed and six others were injured after their school bus was involved in a serious crash.
Students and staff from the Holbrook Indian School were on a field trip to Window Rock, Ariz., when the collision occurred on Sunday morning, according to a statement shared by the school on Facebook.
"According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, our school bus slowed down in traffic near another crash when the bus was struck from behind by a semi-truck. Our bus was pushed into the vehicle in front of it," the school wrote.
There were 19 people on the bus, according to NBC News and ABC affiliate KNXV-TV.
Although additional details were not immediately available, NBC News reported that four individuals were seriously injured.
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"This is a very sad day for the Holbrook Indian School community," the school, which has not publicly identified any of the individuals who were on the bus, wrote in its statement. "Our concerns now are for our parents and families as we uphold and grieve with them."
"We ask that you would be patient and respectful as we work through this as a school community, and we solicit your prayers on behalf of everyone impacted by this tragedy," they added.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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Kiarra Alma Gordon, 17, was identified by loved ones as the sole person killed in the crash, according to FOX affiliate KSAZ-TV and ABC affiliate KNXV-TV.
Gordon's aunt, Falonna Ashley, said her niece hailed from "a small community on the Navajo Nation" known as Wild Runs, per KSAZ-TV.
"She had a beautiful soul," Ashley told KNXV-TV. "She was focused on education and was thinking about what to do after high school."
She had just turned 17 last month, according to the outlet.
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Following the crash, Interstate 40 eastbound was temporarily closed at milepost 328 as officials worked to clear the scene, according to a news release from the state department of transportation, which was obtained by PEOPLE.
The roadway reopened about two hours later, the department shared in a social media update.
NBC News reported that an investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
