At least 50 vehicles involved in deadly pile-up on Kan-etsu Expressway in Japan
At least 50 vehicles were involved in a pile-up on the Kan-etsu Expressway in Minakami, Gunma prefecture, central Japan. The crash occurred at about 19:30 local time on 26 December, approximately 160 km northwest of Tokyo.
Two people were killed in the incident: a 77-year-old woman from Tokyo and another person found in the driver's seat of a burnt-out truck. Additionally, 26 people were injured, with five sustaining serious injuries and 21 suffering minor injuries.
The crash began with a collision between two trucks, triggering a chain reaction that resulted in at least 10 vehicles catching fire. Firefighters took about seven and a half hours to extinguish the blaze.
A heavy snow warning was in place at the time, and icy surfaces are believed to have caused trucks to skid. The Kan-etsu Expressway section where the accident occurred was closed, causing a long line of vehicles to build up in the outbound lane.
Nexco, the expressway operator, stated that checks are needed to determine if the road surface was damaged by the fire. Authorities warned travellers not to use the highway. An eyewitness in his 60s said he heard a loud explosion, saw fire, and was evacuated to a toll gate along with about 50 other people.
