Tour bus crash near Merced leaves five dead

ATWATER (KUSI) — At least five people were killed in a bus crash on State Route 99 just north of Merced Tuesday morning.

The tour bus traveling on northbound SR-99 in Atwater with about 30 passengers inside struck a pole around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to California Highway Patrol. At least five people were reported dead, according to CHP. The number of injured passengers remained unclear. The tour bus was traveling from Southern California to Sacramento, according to the Associated Press. 

Traffic on northbound SR-99 was halted just before 3:50 a.m. Tuesday as officers investigated the scene. CHP was asking drivers in the area to use alternate routes.Traffic was expected to reopen around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday. 

This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.