Eight dead after church bus returning from day trip collides with tractor trailer in Tennessee highway horror

Eight people have died after a church bus filled with senior citizens on their way home from an outing blew a tire and crashed into a tractor trailer truck and an SUV on a Tennessee highway yesterday afteoon.

At least six of the 18 passengers aboard the bus died in the horrific fiery crash on Interstate 40 in Jefferson County, Tennessee, authorities have confirmed.

Another 14 people were injured with several being airlifted to nearby hospitals. The extent of their wounds is not clear at this time.

Tragedy: The church bus blew out a tire and hit a tractor trailer rig, which burst into flames

Tarps can be seen covering the bodies of the passengers who died when the church bus, right, crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed into a tractor trailer rig, left

The tractor trailer rig burst into flames after the bus slammed into it. The fire was so intense it scorched trees along the highway

One of the three people in the SUV was killed. The driver of the tractor trailer rig also died in the crash, according to the Tennessee Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security.

The crash was caused when a tire on the tour bus blew out, causing it to veer across the median and into oncoming traffic.

It clipped an oncoming SUV then smashed head-on into a tractor trailer rig.

The big truck immediately burst into flames and the collision caused the tour bus to overtu.

The bus was chartered by the Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville, North Carolina, about 140 miles east of the crash site.  

Tragedy: Members of the Front Street Baptist Church in North Carolina mou after leaing that six elderly members of their church died in a bus crash

Backed up: The crash halted traffic on I-40 throughout Jefferson County, forcing thousands of drivers to find different routes through the heavily-traveled corridor

Emergency responders from across the county rushed to the wreck

Members of the church were last night night waiting for more details. None of the victims have been identified.

Associate pastor Rick Cruz said: 'This is a time of difficulty, but we trust in God ... that He's fair. ... All your prayers are appreciated.'

Jerry Wright, whose 73-year-old brother, John, and his wife were on the bus said: 'This is hard. You try not to think the worst, but it gets to you.'

Mr Wright believes his brother may have been driving the church bus because he had done so in the past.

'If he was driving, it's going to be bad,' he added. 'I've been trying to ring them. I've been calling their phone, but it keeps ringing and ringing and ringing.'

Dionne Stutts, wife of Front Street Baptist senior pastor Tim Stutts, said the bus was carrying a church group on the way home from a trip to Gatlinburg. They had left North Carolina on Monday.

The passengers were part of a seniors group called 'The Young at Heart' and had attended Gatlinburg's Fall Jubilee festival together. 

Mrs Stutts said her husband and another pastor from the church were en route to the wreck.

'They had been there and they were on their way home today,' she said of the passengers. 'We are devastated and just ask for the people to be praying.'

The accident has shut down Interstate 40 in Jefferson County.