The front of a double-decker city bus was sheared off after a deadly collision with a train. Transportation Safety Board of Canada A double-decker city bus crashed into a train in the Ottawa area this morning, killing six people and sending 30 others to the hospital.

Officials offered no theories on what may have caused the crash, but a witness told City News Toronto the OC Transpo bus appeared to drive through a lowered crossing barrier, saying "He just keep going like that. Then he get hit."

The front end of the public commuter bus was sheared off and the Via Rail commuter train derailed.

Of the six deceased, five were pronounced dead on the scene. 31 people were sent to four area hospitals. 11 were in serious condition, and one died subsequently, an official said in a press conference.

Police have secured the scene and established a family reunification center. They will assist the Transportation Safety Board in its investigation into the cause of the crash. The mayor of Ottawa said the city's flags will be lowered to half mast.

Photos from the scene show the bus in gruesome shape:

CBW Ottawa tweeted out a user photo of the bus from behind:

Photographer Jean Labelle posted this photo: