Sacramento, Nov 14 (IANS): A rare huge dust storm swept through California's Central Valley, causing a highway pileup and leaving thousands without power.

The weather phenomenon, known as a haboob, caused near-zero visibility near Chowchilla, 400 km north of Los Angeles. About 20 vehicles, including a semi-truck, collided on Highway 152 around 1 p.m. local time, with several people hospitalised with minor injuries, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting California Highway Patrol.

In Fresno County, the dust storm knocked down power lines, leaving more than 12,000 residents without electricity. One incident saw a tree split in half and crash onto a carport at an apartment complex, narrowly missing children playing nearby.

"It was loud, it was loud and scary. The kids got so scared," resident Karla Sanchez told ABC30. "My kids came in running, screaming, and when I looked outside, I just saw the tree fall and crush this whole thing behind me, all the cars," Sanchez said.

"Essentially, it was a wall of dust," said Antoinette Serrato, a forecaster with the US National Weather Service Hanford office. "We would say it's a little unusual because this rarely happens."