Massive 50-vehicle pile-up on Kan-etsu Expressway in Japan leaves 1 dead, 26 injured
Massive 50-vehicle pile-up on Kan-etsu Expressway in Japan leaves 1 dead, 26 injured
Snowy conditions on Japan's Kan-etsu Expressway near Minakami trigger a multi-vehicle pile-up, killing one and injuring 26 as winter holidays begin.
Late Friday evening, a massive crash on Japan's Kan-etsu Expressway near Minakami in Gunma prefecture drew hundreds of emergency personnel as a pile-up involved more than 50 vehicles.
Initial reports say the disaster began with a collision between two trucks on a snowy stretch of the expressway, causing vehicles behind to brake too late on the slick surface.
A fire then erupted at the far end of the backlog, spreading to about 20 vehicles. Firefighters battled the flames for roughly seven hours before bringing the blaze under control.
Police later confirmed one death: a 77-year-old Tokyo resident died in a passenger car. A charred body was recovered from the cab of a burned truck, underscoring the severity of the crash. Among the injured, 26 people were hospitalized, with five reported in serious condition.
With heavy snow warnings in effect and travel expectations high for the year-end holidays, authorities closed parts of the Kan-etsu Expressway for investigation, accident removal, and cleanup as responders worked through the night.
