A serious traffic accident occurred in Southern California with several fatal incidents. How the accident happened is not yet clear. The off-road vehicle involved was completely congested.

A serious accident involving a truck and SUV in Southern California killed at least 13 people. Police announced this on Tuesday afternoon (local time). Earlier, a team of emergency department doctors from the Regional Medical Center Hospital in El Centro city spoke of the 15 dead.

According to Highway Police, there were 25 people between 16 and 53 years old in an SUV vehicle. Many were taken to hospitals, some with serious injuries. According to the information, one of the dead is a person from the Mexican border town of Mexicali. The driver of the truck was injured, it said.

Omar Watson of California Highway Patrol described a chaotic accident scene. Some occupants were thrown from the vehicle, others were freed from the car crushed by assistants.

The cause of the accident is still being investigated

The accident occurred Tuesday morning in the rural Imperial County district near the city of El Centro, about 10 miles from the Mexican border. Watson said the car collided with the truck at an intersection. It is not clear whether the car stopped at the first stop sign. The cause of the accident is still being investigated.

The left side of the off-road vehicle was completely demolished by the force of impact. Watson told ABC that it was “unbelievable” that so many people were in the vehicle. There were only two seats for the driver and the front passenger, and there were no seats and seat belts at the back. Police spokesman Arturo Plato told the Los Angeles Times that the vehicle was designated for use by eight people.