A dramatic pileup on the Kan-etsu Expressway in Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, left two dead and at least 26 injured, five of them seriously. A total of 67 vehicles were involved in the accident.

The collision occurred around 7:30 p.m. on a straight stretch of the highway, immediately after a slight bend, while a violent snowstorm was hitting the area.

According to police, it all began with an isolated incident: a truck stopped on the road and was subsequently hit by a second heavy vehicle.

The impact triggered a long chain reaction, stretching for about 300 meters, involving dozens of cars and trucks. The vehicles were traveling at a slow speed, around 50 kilometers per hour, as required by weather warnings, but the completely icy conditions of the asphalt made it difficult to control the vehicles.

At least 20 vehicles caught fire. The flames, fueled by fuel and likely secondary explosions, required prolonged intervention by firefighters, who worked for over seven hours before successfully extinguishing the blaze.

The two victims were a 77-year-old woman, found dead in the back seat of a small car, and the driver of a truck, found dead at the wheel of his vehicle. Of the injured, 21 suffered minor injuries.

The Japan Meteorological Agency had issued a snow warning for the area, valid until late Friday evening.

The stretch of highway between the Yuzawa and Tsukiyono interchanges, between Niigata and Gunma prefectures, remains closed in both directions for now.

The operations to remove the damaged vehicles are still ongoing and the reopening is not expected before Sunday.

(Unioneonline)

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