Eight people are dead and 40 have been hospitalized after a bus carrying farm workers crashed and overturned early Tuesday morning in north central Florida, officials said.

The crash involved a 2010 International retired school bus transporting farm workers and a 2001 Ford Ranger truck. It occurred on State Road 40, 500 feet west of SW 148 Court at 6:35 a.m., the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) said. The crash site is about 45 miles south of Gainesville.

The bus was traveling west, and the Ford truck east when "for unknown reasons" the Ford "traveled toward the centerline" and the vehicles sideswiped each other, Lt. Pat Riordan of the FHP told reporters Tuesday afternoon.

After colliding, the bus, carrying approximately 50 people, traveled off the roadway, went through a fence, struck a tree, and overturned, Riordan said.

A total of 40 have been hospitalized, with eight of them critically injured. Earlier Tuesday, Marion County Fire Rescue reported 53 patients involved in the crash. The driver of the Ford pickup was also transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Riordan mentioned that some of the hospitalized are "in very serious condition" and there's a "high probability" the death count could rise.

"At this point, we are conducting a massive traffic homicide investigation," Riordan said. It’s not clear what caused the two vehicles to initially collide.

AdventHealth Ocala stated they were treating 16 patients, with 12 in the main emergency department and four at AdventHealth Timber Ridge ER, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rodrigo Torres. Some crash victims were also transported to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital.

The workers were headed to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon, as reported by NBC affiliate WESH of Orlando, citing the FHP. Cannon Farms announced on social media that it would be closed “out of respect to the losses and injuries endured early this morning in the accident that took place to the Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp.”

“Please pray with us for the families and the loved ones involved in this tragic accident,” Cannon Farms said. “We appreciate your understanding at this difficult time.”

Calls to Cannon Farms on Tuesday went to a recorded message: "This is Cannon Farms. I just wanted to let everybody know that we are going to be closed due to a tragic accident. Please pray for the families of those involved and the losses of loved ones."

NBC News has reached out to Olvera Trucking.

Marion County Public Schools confirmed that one of their school buses was not involved in the crash but did transport victims to the hospital at the request of first responders.

SR-40 is shut down in both directions amid the investigation.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods told reporters there were over 30 ambulances at the scene. He noted the bus was carrying migrant workers, describing them as "hardworking individuals."

It was raining during the press conference, and Woods noted that weather will be investigated as a potential factor in the crash.

Riordan noted that notifying the next of kin is the next step for authorities, which may be challenging given some of the victims may be from out of the area.

The Mexican consulate in Orlando said on X (formerly Twitter) that emergency telephone numbers are being made available for information about any Mexican individuals or family members potentially involved in the crash. This support aims to assist families in getting timely and accurate information regarding their loved ones during this difficult time.