Five seriously hurt in 194-vehicle California pileup

The pileup shut down a two-mile stretch of Interstate 710.

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VIDEO A 194-vehicle pileup on a freeway south of Los Angeles, California left more than 40 people injured, five seriously (November 4) PLAY VIDEO

LONG BEACH, California (CNN) -- A 194-vehicle pileup Sunday morning on a freeway south of Los Angeles left more than 40 people injured, five seriously, police said.

The accident occurred shortly before 7 a.m. (10 a.m. EST) and prompted the California Highway Patrol to close a two-mile stretch of Interstate 710 in both directions until Sunday afternoon.

Traffic was being diverted to alternate routes.

Thick fog may have been a factor in the accident, California Highway Patrol officers said.

Authorities were trying to clean up fuel that leaked from a damaged tractor-trailer at the accident scene. The accident occurred about 25 miles south of Los Angeles.

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