A religious pilgrimage ended in tragedy overnight on a Texas highway.

Police don't know what made a charter bus smash into a guard rail and overturn.

We do know that fourteen aboard died and others were badly injured.

A white charter bus lies on its side, along a Texas highway-- the wreckage of an accident that killed at least 14 people and hospitalized 24 more.

"There are so many victims, our challenge now is to go out and communicate with them and notify family," says Steve Ayers, of the Sherman Police Department

By all accounts, it was a violent crash.

The bus smashing into a guardrail, skidding for a bit before sliding off U.S. 75.

"A few victims were ejected from the bus when EMS arrived on scene and there were some that were able to crawl out of the bus on their own," said Chief Jeff Jones, of the Sherman Fire Department.

Police say passengers were on their way to a Vietnamese religious festival in Missouri.

Many did not speak English, complicating rescue efforts.

Authorities believe the bus may have blown one of its right tires, but say they're not ruling anything out just yet:

"We're not going to leave anything unturned. Right now take it step by step. It is going to take a lot of work," said said Lt. Steve Ayers, of the Sherman Police Department.

With such heavy losses it's hard to believe.

Investigators say certain factors may have spared lives.

"We're fortunate, the bus was driving northbound where the guardrail was. Had it been 100 feet prior to that it could have been in a deep ravine, it could have been much worse," said Ayers.

Investigators are now trying to put together a group of translators to speak with victims, learn their names and contact their families.