Miami, US: At least four people died and dozens were injured when a train crashed Tuesday into a charter bus in the southern US state of Mississippi, authorities said.

The crash occurred shortly after 2:00pm (2000 GMT) at a railroad crossing in the Gulf Coast city of Biloxi, police chief John Miller said.

‘It’s a terrible, chaotic scene right now but we have it under control,’ Miller said at a news conference.

He said the charter bus had traveled from Austin, Texas, and was probably headed to a casino in Biloxi.

Three people died at the scene and a fourth person died later, fire chief Joe Boney told the local Sun Herald newspaper.

Of the 43 people on the bus, 35 were injured, according to the newspaper.

Craig Robinson, who said he witnessed the crash, told the Sun Herald that the bus appeared to be stuck on the train tracks for about five minutes before the train plowed into it.