A tour bus erupted in flames on the 60 Freeway early Friday, leaving at least one person dead, authorities said.
The fire was reported at about 5:38 a.m. near State Route 60 and Azusa Avenue in Hacienda Heights, according to a California Highway Patrol incident log.
Officials said the initial call described a bus on fire along the right shoulder of the freeway, with flames coming from the rear of the vehicle.
The tour bus appeared to be linked to Viajes Azteca, a Mexican travel company. The California Post contacted a Pacoima office for the company, where an employee said they were aware of the freeway fire but could not verify whether the bus belonged to the business and declined to provide further information.
By around 6:50 a.m., authorities had confirmed at least one death, and the incident was reclassified from a vehicle fire to a fatal crash investigation.
Photos and video from the Hacienda Heights scene showed heavy damage to the rear half of the tour bus, with several rows of seats appearing to have been consumed by the fire.
Fire crews with the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded and were able to put out the flames.
A SigAlert was issued as the third and fourth lanes of the 60 Freeway were shut down, according to the incident log.
Hacienda Heights is in eastern Los Angeles County.
Police have requested the Los Angeles County Coroner to visit the scene.
It’s unclear what started the fire. The bus did not appear to have been involved in a crash, and the luggage compartments on the bus were open.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
