Tour bus involved in a fatal crash with a truck in California (CBS Los Angeles)
Tour bus involved in a fatal crash with a truck in California (CBS Los Angeles)
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DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. — A tour bus and a semi-truck crashed on a highway in Southern California early Sunday, killing at least seven people, the California Highway Patrol said.

CHP Officer Stephanie Hamilton confirmed the fatalities to the Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs as of 7:30 a.m. Firefighters removed more bodies using ladders to climb into the bus' windows, the newspaper reported.

Photos show the front of the passenger bus pushed into the semi-truck's trailer after the wreck on Interstate 10 in Desert Hot Springs, near the desert resort town of Palm Springs. Responders used tow trucks to lift the trailer to provide easier access and pull the semi-truck forward, the newspaper reported.

At least 30 victims have been taken to hospitals. Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs received 14 patients: five in critical condition, three in serious condition and six with minor injuries, hospital director of marketing Rich Ramhoff said.

Eleven people with minor injuries were sent to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, spokesperson Lee Rice. JFK Medical Center received five patients, all with minor injuries, chief development officer Linda Evans said.

Its cause is not yet known. The CHP says all westbound lanes of the highway are closed and traffic is being diverted.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed)

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