Two people were killed and 44 others injured after a tour bus on Wednesday overturned on slick highway in U.S. southern state Mississippi, according to local media reports.

The tour bus hit a patch of ice in DeSoto County, about 40 miles south of Memphis, the DeSoto County Sheriff's Department said.

One victim was identified as 70-year-old woman, said a report from the WMCActionNews5.com.

All 44 survivors sustained various injuries and have been taken to hospitals, at least three of them in serious condition, said the report.

The DeSoto County Sheriff's Department says highways there are slick and dangerous because of sleet, which is falling across parts of the Mid-South.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol is now taking over the investigation.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)