A tragic series of events unfolded on the Kan-etsu Expressway in Minakami, Gunma prefecture, where a pile-up involving at least 50 vehicles has led to the death of two individuals and left 26 more injured. According to police reports, the incident, which occurred on December 26 around 19:30 local time, was initiated by a crash between two trucks, igniting a chain reaction that resulted in at least 10 vehicles catching fire.
The victims include a 77-year-old woman from Tokyo and another casualty found in the driver's seat of a burnt-out truck. Authorities confirmed that five people sustained serious injuries while 21 others suffered minor injuries due to the accident. The situation was exacerbated by a warning of heavy snow in the area, as icy road conditions likely caused the trucks to lose control.
Emergency services faced challenges extinguishing the fire, which took approximately seven and a half hours to bring under control. Following the incident, a significant section of the highway was closed, leading to a long traffic jam with many vehicles severely burnt and rendered inoperable.
Eyewitness accounts describe a loud explosion as the pile-up commenced, followed by rapid spread of flames across multiple vehicles. One man in his 60s recounted his evacuation to a nearby toll gate along with about 50 others, where they spent the night to ensure safety.
The road operator, Nexco, noted the need for structural inspections of the highway due to potential damage from the fire and is advising travelers to avoid using the route until further notice. Investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing, particularly focusing on how the weather conditions contributed to this devastating incident.
