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Public Safety

4 Dead, Several Injured In California Bus Crash

BLYTHE, Calif. — Authorities say at least four people were killed and several more suffered serious injuries when a passenger bus overturned on Interstate 10 in Southern California near the Arizona border.

Caltrans spokeswoman Terri Kasinga says the crash occurred shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday just west of Blythe when a big rig traveling east jackknifed onto the median and spilled a load of steel pipes into all lanes.

She says the bus either swerved to avoid the pipes or struck them and overturned onto the shoulder and slid 50 feet down a slight embankment. The bus was traveling from Phoenix to Los Angeles.

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Kasinga says four people are dead but there could be more fatalities.

Emergency helicopters have transported several passengers with critical injuries.

Kasinga says all lanes of the interstate will be closed for several hours.

Just last month, 10 people were killed and 30 injured when FedEx truck collided with a charter bus carrying high school students on a college tour.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.