Update:

Lidgerwood, ND . (NDHP)— Four students were hospitalized   Thursday afternoon, December 19, when the school bus they were riding was struck by a train at a Richland County railroad crossing.

North Dakota Highway Patrol, Captain Bryan Niewind reports, the crash happened about 3:40 p.m., shortly after school ended.

The bus carrying 18 students in grades K-12, was headed north through a railroad crossing on the northeast outskirts of Lidgerwood.

A slow-moving eastbound Dakota Valley & Western Railroad train, with ten loaded grain rail cars,  hit the bus on its rear driver-side axle, causing it to rotate counterclockwise and roll onto its passenger side.

The Highway Patrol has identified the locomotive engineer as 51 year old Michael Mallett of Oakes, who was not injured.

The conductor, 51 year old Terry Roney, of Oakes, who was not injured.

The school bus driver, 69 year old Michael Skroch, or Lidgerwood, was not injured.

Students injured included an eight year old female, who was transported by ambulance, a 15 year old female who was transported by Sanford Lifeflight, to a Fargo hospital, 10 year old male, who was transported by his parents to a hospital, and a 14 year old female, transported by ambulance.  The students ranged in age from six years old to 15 years old.

The names of the juveniles are not be released by the Highway Patrol.

Assisting at the scene were: the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Lidgerwood Fire Department & Ambulance, Hankinson Fire Department & Ambulance, Wyndmere Ambulance, Richland Emergency Service, and Sanford LifeFlight.

Previously..

(INFORUM)  Lidgerwood School Board President Sadie Siemieniewski said three students were taken to the hospital by ambulance.  A fourth student was airlifted to a Fargo hospital, though she added that the bus passengers were “very lucky” no one suffered serious injuries. The patrol’s crash report did not list any injuries for the 69-year-old bus driver.

Lidgerwood Public School said the bus carries students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Siemieniewski said Thursday evening that the Lidgerwood girls basketball game that was scheduled for Thursday night was canceled.

Investigators from the North Dakota Highway Patrol could be seen reconstructing the crash Thursday night and were still on scene around 7:30 p.m. Niewind said the patrol is releasing more information on Friday.

Lidgerwood is about 75 miles southwest of Fargo.

Previously…

(AP)  School officials say three students were hurt when their bus collided with a train in North Dakota. The Lidgerwood Public School says the crash happened around 3:40 p.m. Thursday. Three students were taken by ambulance to a hospital. No other information was immediately available.