BREAKING: At least 3 dead, 18 injured after semi-truck crashes into bus carrying students on Ohio highway

At least 3 people have died and 18 others were injured and subsequently hospitalized after a charter bus in Ohio that was carrying high school students, teachers and parents was crashed into by a semitruck.

ABC News Live reported that the bus was on fire after the crash, and that the superintendent of Tuscarawas Valley Schools said that there "may be multiple serious injuries involving students who are on board that bus," but could not say for sure who precisely was injured, be it students, adults, or chaperones. 

Tuscarawas Valley Schools has confirmed that band students belonging to the district were riding on the charter bus that had crashed, WLWT5 reports.

Emergency Management Agency Director Sean Grady said that the vehicle was taking students from a school in eastern Ohio, Licking County, per the outlet.

"Right now, our focus is on getting in touch with our Tusky Valley families who had loved ones on the bus and providing support to our entire school community. Our Trojan family is strong, and it will take that strength and love to get throughout these coming challenging days," Superintendent Derek Varansky said in a statement.

WLTW5 reports the crash occurred just before 9 a.m. on Interstate 70 West in Licking County, not far from the Smoke Road underpass. 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a press conference, "This is our worst nightmare when we have a bus full of children involved in a crash and certainly is the worst nightmare that families can endure or school can endure."

Dewine offered prayers to everyone who was on the bus as well as their families. 

Since the events unfolded, director of the Licking County Emergency Management Agency Sean Grady revealed to The Washington Post that "The number of fatalities will probably go up." The outlet also said a third vehicle may have been involved in the crash, and was sandwiched between the two large vehicles.

Grady would not say if the deaths were students, per the outlet. He also said that there were a total of 52 people riding the bus.