5 women die in limousine fire on California Bridge

Kiyo: A limousine traveling on a major bridge in the San Francisco Bay area burst into flames, killing five female passengers who were trapped inside and injuring four others who escaped, authorities said Sunday.

The limo was carrying nine female passengers and a male driver when it caught fire late Saturday on the San Mateo–Hayward Bridge, California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel told The Associated Press.

Five occupants became trapped while four others suffered injuries but managed to get out after the vehicle came to a stop on the bridge, the patrol said. The driver escaped uninjured.

Officer Montiel said that the victims were all in their 30s. Authorities said the names of the dead would be released once families have been notified.

The blaze occurred around 10 p.m. on westbound lanes of the bridge, which connects San Mateo and Alameda counties, about 20 miles southeast of San Francisco.

The patrol said that smoke started coming out of the rear of the limo, and the driver pulled over as the vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames. Officers were trying to determine the cause of the blaze, which wasn’t the result of an accident.

“We have no idea right now where they were going or where they were coming from,” CHP Officer Amelia Jack told KGO-TV.