50 cars collided on Japanese highway, two people died

A pile-up of at least 50 cars on a highway in central Japan has killed two people and injured 26 others, police said.

Local police said the incident was a chain reaction caused by a collision between two trucks, causing at least 10 vehicles to catch fire.

A 77-year-old woman from Tokyo was killed and another body was found in the driver’s seat of a burned-out truck. Police said five people were seriously injured and 21 were slightly injured.

A heavy snow warning was in effect at the time of the accident. Police believe the icy roads may have caused the truck to skid on the road.

The accident occurred at approximately 19:30 local time (10:30 GMT) on December 26 on the Minami-Kangotsu Expressway in Gunma Prefecture, approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Tokyo.

Police said it took about seven and a half hours to put out the blaze.

After the incident, a section of the highway was closed, with a long line of vehicles parked on the travel lane, many of which were charred beyond recognition. Efforts are currently underway to tow them away.

A man in his 60s, whose vehicle was involved in the accident, told local media NHK that he heard a huge explosion from the far end of the pileup and saw a fire during the accident. The fire then spread to other vehicles, he said.

He said he and about 50 other people were evacuated to a nearby toll booth and spent the night in a corridor there.

Nexco, which operates the road, said it needed to check whether the road had been damaged by the fire.

The company warned travelers not to use the highway.