当局称，周六阿拉巴马州际公路发生可怕的撞车事故，造成10人死亡，其中包括9名儿童，事故涉及18辆汽车，包括两辆拖拉机拖车和一辆来自一个被虐待、忽视和遗弃女孩之家的公共汽车。

这起事故发生在阿拉巴马州巴特勒县65号州际公路上下午2点30分左右，巴特勒县治安官丹尼·邦德(Danny Bond)向美国广播公司(ABC News)描述为“多米诺骨牌效应”事故。

邦德说，当两个18轮车相撞，将一辆来自塔拉波萨县女子牧场的公共汽车夹在中间时，这一集就展开了。他说，一辆载有另外两名遇难者，一名父亲和一名女儿的越野车在附近坠毁。

巴特勒县验尸官韦恩·加洛克(Wayne Garlock)表示，引发连锁反应事故的车辆之一被认为在潮湿的路面上打滑。坠机发生时，热带风暴克劳地席卷了东南部大部分地区。邦德说，事故发生时没有倾盆大雨，他不能确认事故是由一辆滑水车辆引起的。

瓦萨·亨特/美联社

2021年6月20日，阿拉巴马州北部港口的一条小溪和一条道路上散落着残骸。

根据加洛克的说法，29岁的科迪·福克斯和他9个月大的女儿阿里安娜·福克斯在他们的SUV翻车时丧生。科迪·福克斯在现场被宣布死亡，阿丽亚娜在医院去世。

八名死者是4至17岁的儿童，他们乘坐塔拉波萨县女子牧场的公共汽车旅行。车上只有孩子们和司机，邦德认出他们是坎迪斯·古利。

邦德说古利的两个孩子死于车祸。

古利被一名旁观者救了出来，他从车里出来，把司机拉到安全的地方。官员们说，旁观者试图帮助里面的孩子，但公共汽车已经被烟雾和火焰吞没，他无法到达他们那里。

官员们说，在事故中幸存的其他人似乎都没有生命危险。加洛克说，一名妇女因骨折被送往蒙哥马利医院。

该牧场的经营者，阿拉巴马州治安官青年牧场，称这些死亡是“巨大的损失”

“我们今天心情很沉重。我们牧场家庭损失惨重。正如你们中的许多人可能听说的那样，我们的一辆牧场车辆昨天下午卷入了一场多重车祸。这是如此可怕的悲剧和损失，”阿拉巴马州治安官青年牧场首席执行官迈克尔·史密斯说。

阿拉巴马州州长凯·艾维说，这次灾难性的坠机事件标志着阿拉巴马州“悲惨的一天”。

艾维在推特上写道:“我向在巴特勒和塔斯卡卢萨县的风暴中遇难的所有亲人表示哀悼。”。“让我们让这些家庭、社区和第一反应者在祈祷中振作起来。”

该机构在推特上说，国家运输安全委员会将派出10名调查人员，与阿拉巴马州公路巡逻队合作，对这起事故进行安全调查。

NTSB表示，调查人员定于周日晚上抵达事故现场。

'Horrible tragedy': Crash kills 10 in Alabama, including 9 kids

Nine children were among 10 people killed in a horrific Alabama interstate crash on Saturday that involved 18 vehicles, including two tractor-trailer rigs and a bus from a home for abused, neglected and abandoned girls, authorities said.

The crash occurred about 2:30 p.m. on Interstate 65 in Butler County, Alabama, and was described to ABC News by Butler County Sheriff Danny Bond as a "domino effect" crash.

Bond said the episode unfolded when two 18-wheelers crashed and sandwiched a bus from the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch between them. He said an SUV that held the other two deceased victims, a father and daughter, crashed nearby.

Wayne Garlock, the Butler County coroner, said one of the vehicles that set off the chain-reaction crash is believed to have hydroplaned on the wet pavement. The crash came as Tropical Storm Claudette drenched much of the Southeast. Bond said there had been no downpours at the time of the crash and that he could not confirm that the accident was prompted by a hydroplaning vehicle.

Cody Fox, 29, and his 9-month-old daughter, Ariana Fox, died in the accident when their SUV overturned, according to Garlock. Cody Fox was pronounced dead at the scene, and Ariana died at a hospital.

The eight deaths were those of children aged 4 to 17, who were traveling in a Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch bus. The children and the driver, identified by Bond as Candice Gulley, were the only ones on the bus.

Bond said two of Gulley's children died in the crash.

Gulley was rescued by a bystander who got out of his car and pulled the driver to safety. The bystander tried to then help the kids inside, but the bus was already engulfed by smoke and flames and he could not get to them, officials said.

None of the other people who survived the crash appear to have life-threatening injuries, officials said. One woman was taken to a Montgomery hospital with broken bones, Garlock said.

The ranch's operator, the Alabama Sheriffs Youth Ranches, called the deaths "a great loss."

"Our hearts are so heavy today. Our Ranch family has suffered a great loss. As many of you may have heard, one of our Ranch vehicles was involved in a multiple car accident yesterday afternoon. It is such a horrible tragedy and loss," said Michael Smith, chief executive officer of Alabama Sheriff's Youth Ranches.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said the devastating crash marked a "tragic day" for Alabama.

"My heart goes out to the loved ones of all who perished during the storm in Butler & Tuscaloosa counties," Ivey wrote on Twitter. "Let's keep these families, communities & first responders lifted in prayer."

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending 10 investigators to conduct a safety investigation of the crash in coordination with the Alabama Highway Patrol, the agency said on Twitter.

The NTSB said its investigators were scheduled to arrive at the scene of the crash Sunday night.