One Person Killed After a Bus Catches Fire on the Eastbound 60 Freeway near Azusa Avenue in the City of Industry

One person was killed after a bus caught fire on the eastbound 60 Freeway in the City of Industry early Friday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol and CBS Los Angeles. The CHP received the first calls at about 5:38 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, near the Azusa Avenue exit.

Updated August 22, 2026: The passenger killed has been identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner as Marina Diaz de Pacheco, 89, according to KESQ News Channel 3. CBS Los Angeles reported that the bus belonged to Viajes Azteca and was headed to Bloomington to pick up more passengers before continuing to Mexico, that the driver pulled over after a check-engine light came on and noticed smoke at the rear of the vehicle, and that he had the passengers evacuate as the fire spread. CBS Los Angeles also reported that fire crews recovered several propane tanks and luggage from the scene and that investigators are determining whether the tanks contributed to the fire. KESQ and MyNewsLA describe the location as the eastbound Pomona (60) Freeway in Hacienda Heights. No arrest or citation has been reported, and the cause remains under investigation.

Updated August 21, 2026: The California Highway Patrol said the vehicle was a tour bus that experienced mechanical difficulties while traveling eastbound and that the driver saw smoke coming from the rear of the bus after pulling to the shoulder, according to ABC News. Fire crews found one passenger, who had been unaccounted for during the evacuation, dead on the bus after the flames were put out, ABC News reported; the victim’s name has not been released pending identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. FOX 11 reported that all lanes had reopened by about 11 a.m. and that the tour bus company specializes in trips between the U.S. and Mexico; the company has not been named. Some outlets, including FOX 11 and ABC7, place the crash in neighboring Hacienda Heights. The cause remains under investigation.

The CHP’s incident log shows the bus came to rest on the right shoulder as fire crews responded. One person died in the incident, CBS Los Angeles reported; authorities had not said whether the person was a passenger or the driver, and their identity has not been released. Several eastbound lanes were closed during the emergency response, and aerial footage broadcast by CBS showed traffic backing up through the area. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the CHP has not said what type of bus was involved or whether another vehicle played a role. This is a developing story.