Kansas crash: Eight people killed as two cars burst into flames after horror smash

At least eight people have died after two cars burst into flames following a horror .

The two vehicles collided head on and caught fire on the US 169, outside of the small town of Greeley in . At least one child was killed, authorities have confirmed.

It is believed nine people were travelling in the two cars altogether and the one survivor managed to escaped from the wreckage. They are now in hospital, police in Kansas said. The smash happened on a two-lane highway in eastern Kansas, a largely rural state in the Midwestern region of the United States.

Donald "DJ" Laster, a pupil at Booker T Washington High School in Oklahoma, died in the crash, along with teacher Wayne Walls and Tulsa Public Schools transportation team member Ja’mon Gilstrap. Dr Ebony Johnson, superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools, said expressed her sadness in a poignant statement today.

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The statement reads: "I am heartbroken for those who lost loved ones, and committed to honouring the immense collective impact each of these people had in Tulsa and in the lives of our young people. I am praying for their families and everyone involved, and hope others will continue to come alongside our students, team members, and families who are hurting."

The crash closed a section of the highway for four hours, and Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Jodi Clary said authorities were still working at the crash site Monday evening. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The officer added: "Both cars burned up."

Eight people also died in a crash in the same state last month, . A violent dust storm played a factor in the collision because it caused visibility to becoming challenging, police said.

Police since confirmed the eight people who sadly died: Larry Smith, 72, of Sharon Springs, Kansas, Dawson Hogan, 20, of Salina, Kansas, Baiel Sharshembiev, 24, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Carlos Arzate, 48, of Shattuck, Oklahoma, Manuel Alarcon, 57, of Dodge City, Stephanie Purcell, 61, of Evansville, Indiana, Mario Juarez, 31, of Garden City, Kansas and Giovanni Stefan, 60, of Troy, Michigan.

Police said it is investigating how all the crashes occurred. "Due to the extreme circumstances, the exact sequence of events is currently under investigation," the force said. Robert Rybak and Patty Dowd Schmitz, who were involved in the crash, previously told local media it was a "miracle" that they walked away from the wreckage in Kansas.

Mr Schmitz said: "We are the lucky ones. The fact that we’re alive and we were able to basically walk away from what should have been a fatal accident. I mean, we’re just so lucky and grateful because so many people weren’t that lucky."

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