According to the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office, the remains of two people were found following a bus fire southeast of Oakland, Iowa — about 26 miles east of Council Bluffs.
Deputies arriving on scene said they found the Riverside Community School bus fully engulfed in flames.
After the fire was contained, authorities found two dead, later identified as 16-year-old Megan Klindt and 74-year-old Donald Hendricks. Klindt and Hendricks were the only two on the bus at the time of the fire.
Riverside Community Schools superintendent Dr. Timothy Mitchell released the following statement:
"This morning, the Riverside Community School District suffered a tragedy when we lost a student and an employee in a school bus accident. Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones. The investigation into the cause of the accident is underway, and we are cooperating with law enforcement as they do their work. The safety of students and staff is the top priority for the District. School is in session and a Crisis Team from the Green Hills Area Education Agency along with area schools counselors and many community volunteers have been deployed to all our buildings to assist students and staff. All after-school activities for today have been cancelled and will be rescheduled. Pottawattamie County Sheriff Department is handling the scene and will update the media later today. We will release more information as it becomes available to us."
The school also posted there will be a community prayer vigil at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Fellowship Church, 18999 U.S. Highway 59, in Oakland. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., according to the district's post on Facebook.
The National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to see what caused the fire.
Stay with 3 News Now for the latest updates on this developing story.
