(Los Angeles Times)
Thirteen people were killed and 31 others were injured Sunday morning when a tour bus collided with a big-rig truck on the Interstate 10 near Palm Springs, California. The driver of the bus was among those killed in the accident.
The tour bus crashed into a truck on the westbound 10 at 5:17 a.m. Sunday, reported the Los Angeles Times, citing Jim Abele, a chief with the California Highway Patrol. It was operated by USA Holiday.
Identities of the other victims and survivors of the collision have not yet been reported.
Shortly after the wreck occurred firefighters used ladders to climb into the bus to search for bodies and survivors.
Bodies that had lined the side of the road in white bags were removed, two at a time, in a slow procession of coroner’s vans. The Riverside County Coroner’s office would not confirm the number of fatalities.
The injured were transported to nearby hospitals in the Coachella Valley.
A total of 44 passengers were aboard the bus, according to The Desert Sun. A passenger who was treated at Desert Regional for minor injuries said the tour bus had started in Los Angeles, traveled to Red Earth Casino in Thermal, and was making its return trip Sunday morning.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision.
California Tour Bus Crash: Full Story & Must-See Details
