5 children in church van on way to Disney World are among 7 killed in Florida crash

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Five children riding in a Louisiana church van on their way to Disney World were killed Thursday along with two truck drivers in a crash that triggered a raging inferno from spilled diesel on a Florida highway, 

The van had already been on the road for 700 miles and was about an hour away from the theme park. 

The wreck, which involved the passenger van, a second car and two tractor-trailers, occurred on a clear day along a straight flat stretch of Interstate 75 about a mile south of Alachua, near Gainesville, Florida, the FHP reported.

In a statement, Jacquee Wahler, a spokesperson for Walt Disney World Resort, said, "There are no words to convey the sorrow we feel for those involved in yesterday’s tragedy.  We extend heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones impacted by this tragic accident.”

A letter from the United Pentecostal Church's Louisiana District, posted to Facebook, said that the van carried nine children and three women.

One woman suffered seven broken ribs and a broken collarbone, among cuts and bruises, the letter said. Another woman, who was pregnant, gave birth Thursday night. A third woman was still in a hospital, but was not severely inured.

Four children among the injured were still in a hospital, but "the medical staff feel that all of them will heal and recover," the letter said.

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