Eight people were killed and 43 were injured in the US state of Texas after a charter bus rolled over on the highway, county officials said.

The bus, which was traveling near the state's border with Mexico, was headed to a casino in the town of Eagle Pass, according to a statement from Webb County, where the accident occurred.

Seven people died at the scene while one other died at the hospital, county spokesman Larry Sanchez said.

According to the county 44 people were sent to the hospital, including the individual who died.

The bus had been traveling from the Rio Grande Valley in the state's southern tip, when it rolled over. Emergency responders received a call around 11:30 am (16:30 GMT) about the accident, which included people pinned under the bus.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to investigate the roll over.

Department of Public Safety Trooper Conrad Hein reported that it was raining at the time of the accident but the cause of the crash was still unknown, according to NBC News.

The accident happened some 35 miles (55 kilometers) north of the border city of Laredo.

In a statement, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and his wife extended their "deepest condolences" to those affected by the accident.

Source: AFP