1 dead, 26 injured after 50-vehicle collision north-west of Tokyo

An accident on a snowy expressway in Japan on Friday (Dec 26) evening has killed one person and injured 26 others.

Kyodo News reported that the accident in Gunma prefecture, near the capital Tokyo, started when a truck skidded and crashed into another, leading to a chain collision involving more than 50 vehicles along 300m of slippery road.

A 77-year-old woman, who was in the rear seat of a car, died, while five people suffered serious injuries and 21 others sustained minor wounds.

At least 10 vehicles caught fire following the crash, taking more than seven hours to extinguish.

Asahi Shimbun reported that a section of the expressway remains closed, with a speed restriction of 50km per hour in place due to the snow.

"It is not yet known when the road closure will be lifted. It is expected to take a considerable amount of time," said East Nippon Expressway Co.

@asiaone An accident happened between two trucks on Friday (Dec 26) evening, on the Kan-etsu Expressway in the town of Minakami, Gunma Prefecture. The collision allegedly caused a multi-vehicle pileup, affecting more than 50 vehicles. It also led to a fire which took more than seven hours to put out. At least 26 persons are reportedly injured, five seriously. One person died in the accident. #news #Japan #Road #Expressway #Accident #Fire ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

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chingshijie@asiaone.com