Inbound expressway closure northwest of Tokyo lifted after deadly 67-vehicle pileup

Alsharq Tribune-M.Essam

Following Friday's deadly pileup involving 67 vehicles, the inbound lane of the Kan-etsu Expressway in Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, has been reopened, while the outbound lane is scheduled to be reopened later on Sunday, local media reported.

The massive pileup occurred on the outbound lane of the expressway in the town of Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, at around 7:30 p.m. local time on Friday after a collision between two trucks triggered a chain of crashes stretching over about 300 meters, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The accident left two people dead and 26 others injured, with five of them seriously injured, the report said.

According to the police, a total of 67 vehicles were involved in the accident, and 20 of them caught fire, taking more than seven hours to extinguish.

A heavy snow warning was in effect at the time. Police believe the cause of the accident was the vehicles skidding on the icy surface as snow fell.