1 killed as cliff collapses on popular South California beach

ENCINITAS, Calif. — A woman was killed and four people were injured — two critically– after a cliff collapsed on a popular Southern California beach Friday, authorities said.

The sandstone bluff gave way shortly before 3 p.m. in Encinitas, a suburb north of San Diego. The area is popular with local residents, surfers and vacationers.

The beach was filled with people at the time of the collapse. A KNSD-TV helicopter captured footage of beach chairs, towels, and beach toys strewn about.

Two people were flown to hospitals in critical condition, and two were treated for minor injuries, Encinitas Fire Chief Mike Stein said. Authorities did not release their names or ages.

Homes on top of the bluff were not in any danger, Stein said. Rescue crews were searching for additional victims, but they did not have full access because of safety concerns.

Bluffs give way four to eight times a year in Southern California, but “nothing of this magnitude,” said Brian Ketterer, California State Parks’ southern field division chief.

Suburbs north of San Diego have contended with rising water levels in the Pacific Ocean, pressuring bluffs along the coast.