50-vehicle pile up blocks motorway in Japan after blaze engulfs cars
27 Dec 2025, 22:34 Updated: 5h ago
A heavy snow warning was in place at the time of the crash, as police say icy surfaces could have caused vehicles to skid
27 Dec 2025, 22:34 | Updated: 5h ago
Burnt vehicles are seen after a massive crash in snowy weather on an expressway, in Minakami. Picture: Alamy[1]A 50-vehicle pile up on a Japan highway has left two dead and 26 injured, police say.
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Two trucks crashed on the road, sparking a chain reaction of collisions that set at least 10 vehicles on fire.
A 77-year-old woman from Tokyo was killed, and another body was discovered in the driver's seat of a burnt-out truck.
Five were seriously injured, and 21 had minor injuries, local police reported.
A heavy snow warning was in place at the time of the crash, as police say icy surfaces could have caused vehicles to skid.
Burnt vehicles are seen after a massive crash. Picture: Alamy[2]The pile-up occurred on the Kan-etsu Expressway in Minakami, Gunma prefecture, about 160km (100 miles) north-west of Tokyo, at about 19:30 local time (10:30 UK time) on Boxing Day.
It took emergency services seven and a half hours to put out the fire.
The section of highway was closed, with the pile of burnt out vehicles stuck across the lanes.
Multiple car crashes on the Kan-etsu Highway in Minakami Town. Picture: Alamy[3]A witness, in his 60s, whose vehicle was involved in the accident, told local media outlet NHK he heard a loud explosion from the far end of the crash.
The man was evacuated to a nearby toll gate with about 50 other people and spent the night in the hallway there.
Road operator Nexco said checks were needed to see if the surface was damaged by the fire.
The company is warning motorists not to use the highway.