School bus and tanker truck collide in South Carolina; 18 sent to hospital

GILBERT, S.C. — A school bus collided with a tanker truck Thursday in South Carolina, sending at least 18 people, mostly children, to the hospital, authorities said.

The bus was carrying 36 passengers when it collided with the tanker at about 4 p.m. at an intersection near Gilbert in Lexington County, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

At least 17 children and one adult were taken to Lexington Medical Center for treatment, the hospital told WIS-TV. All of the patients were evaluated and released, hospital spokesperson Jennifer Wilson told The Associated Press by telephone on Friday.

There was no immediate information on their conditions or the cause of the crash.

The bus passengers were from Gilbert Middle School and Gilbert High schools.

Gilbert is about 30 miles (49 kilometers) southwest of South Carolina's capital of Columbia.