SOFIA, Bulgaria —

       A bus crash in western Bulgaria early Tuesday killed at least 45 people, authorities say.

       The bus, which was registered in North Macedonia, crashed about 2 a.m., and there were children among the victims, authorities said. Seven people were taken to hospitals.

       The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Officials said an investigation would take place.

       Bulgarian news agency Novinite said representatives from North Macedonia’s embassy visited a hospital where some of the victims were taken.

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       Bulgarian Caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev visited the site of the crash and told reporters it was “a huge tragedy.”

       “I take this opportunity to send my condolences to the relatives of the victims,” Yanev said. “Let’s hope we learn lessons from this tragic incident and we can prevent such incidents in the future.”