Tour bus en route to Mexico catches fire on Los Angeles freeway

One person died and another person went to the hospital after a tour bus caught fire on a Los Angeles County freeway Friday morning.

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The tour bus company, Viajes Azteca, was transporting 18 passengers to Mexico, according to CBS News LA. Just after 5:30 a.m., the Los Angeles County Fire Department received a call that a tour bus was ablaze on the eastbound side of Highway 60 in Hacienda Heights, fire department spokesperson Jonathan Torres told SFGATE. 

California Highway Patrol officer Zachary Salazar told CBS News that the driver had pulled over onto the shoulder once he saw the check engine light was on. He then noticed the smoke.

“It seems that the fire may have started towards the rear of the bus, and that is where we ultimately found a [dead on arrival] or fatality in the back,” Torres said.

The Los Angeles Medical Examiner has not yet released the name of the passenger who died on board. A second person was transferred to the hospital for smoke inhalation injuries. 

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Crews found propane tanks on board; it’s unclear if this contributed to the fire, CBS News reported. 

Los Angeles-based Viajes Azteca has a satisfactory rating from the Department of Transportation Safety Board, according to the agency’s records. This is the first reported crash for the company’s fleet of five buses, but Viajes Azteca has had minor safety violations, including non-operative emergency exits and unsecured fire extinguishers.