2 killed in Japan as 50-vehicle pile-up leads to crash on icy expressway
Twenty-six people were injured in the mishap in Gunma prefecture that also sparked a fire at the far end of the pile-up
The Gunma prefectural highway police said on Saturday that the pile-up on the Kan-etsu Expressway started with a collision between two trucks in the town of Minakami, about 160km (100 miles) northwest of Tokyo.
A 77-year-old woman from Tokyo died, while a body was found in the driver’s seat of a large truck, police said.
Out of the 26 injured, five were reported to be in serious condition.
The crash of the trucks blocked parts of the expressway, and cars coming from behind them were unable to brake on the snowy surface. More than 50 vehicles were involved in the pile-up, police said.
Massive highway pile-up in Japan leaves 2 dead, 26 injured
A fire erupted at the far end of the pile-up, spreading to more than a dozen vehicles, some of which were completely burned. Nobody was injured from the fire, which was extinguished about seven hours later, police said.