San Francisco - At least 10 people were killed and 38 injured when a tourist bus crashed on a freeway overpass Tuesday in central California, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The accident occurred on a bridge crossing the 101 freeway near the town of Soledad, some 210 kilometres south of San Francisco.

Local reports said the vehicle was carrying French tourists on a trip from San Francisco.

The California Highway Patrol was unable to confirm the number of fatalities. Brian Wiest of the CHP said that children were involved in the crash, and that several people were ejected from the bus and went over the guard rail onto the highway below. He said the bus went into the guard rail on the overpass, overturned and skidded on the highway.