A fire erupted at the far end of the 50-car pileup, spreading to more than a dozen vehicles, some of which were completely burned.
A massive crash on an expressway in Japan triggered a blaze that killed one person and injured 26 others on late Friday, as the country kicked off its end-of-the-year holiday season. The pileup of at least 50 vehicles began with a collision between two trucks in the Minakami town, according to police.
A 77-year-old woman from Tokyo died, police said. Out of the 26 injured, five were reported to be in serious condition, The Associated Press reported.
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 pileup, according to the Gunma prefectural highway police.
A fire erupted at the far end of the pileup, 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.
As of 2 am (local time) on Saturday, the expressway was closed in both directions between the Yuzawa Interchange in Niigata Prefecture and the Tsukiyono Interchange in Gunma Prefecture, according to NHK World. It is currently unclear when the closure will be lifted.
A warning about heavy snow was in effect late on Friday, when many Japanese started their year-end and New Year holidays. Parts of the expressway remained closed for police investigation, removal and cleaning of the wreckage.
