After an accident on Japan's expressway, 50 vehicles collide in a pile-up and 12 catch fire.

A massive road accident is reported to have occurred on the Kan-Etsu Expressway near Minakami town in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, on the night of last Friday (December 26) due to adverse weather conditions. Reduced visibility on the road due to heavy fog and snowfall has been identified as the main cause of this accident.

Police reports state that this chain accident began when two trucks initially collided in foggy conditions.

With the initial collision, one lane of the expressway was completely blocked, and a large number of vehicles approaching from behind, unable to control their speed on the icy and slippery road, collided with each other. It has been confirmed that over 50 vehicles were involved in this chain accident, and more than twelve vehicles were completely destroyed by fire that rapidly spread after the collision.

Immediately after the accident, firefighters arrived at the scene and made strenuous efforts to control the fire, taking approximately seven hours to extinguish it completely. A 77-year-old woman lost her life in this tragedy, and 26 other individuals were injured. Police have further confirmed that five of the injured are in serious condition.

The heavy traffic congestion on the expressway at the time of the accident, due to the year-end and New Year holiday season, was a major factor in exacerbating the damage. It is noted that despite prior warnings about heavy snowfall, many people were traveling due to the holiday period. Currently, efforts are underway to remove the destroyed vehicles and debris, and the police have further closed a section of the expressway for investigation and road clearing operations.