At least three people died last week after 60 vehicles collided with each other on Friday causing a large fire at a highway in the United States’ Pennsylvania. The pileup occurred on Pennsylvania’s Interstate 81, people familiar with the developments told US-based news agency CBS News. The officials said that the pileup caused a large fire.
The report by CBS said that the crash was first reported between Exit 116 – PA 901 and Exit 119 – Highridge Park Road. The crash occurred while the area was facing snow squalls.
News agency CNN defined snow squalls as weather conditions where there is an ‘intense, but limited duration, period of moderate to heavy snowfall, accompanied by strong, gusty surface winds and possibly lightning.’
Following the pileup all lanes of the highway were closed. The Schuylkill County Coroner told news agencies that three people died in the accident and the death toll could rise further,
Videos of the accident surfaced on the Internet where cars were seen crashing into each other at the accident site. Some cars were attempting to go off road in an attempt to avoid landing in the pileup.
The Schuylkill County Office of Emergency Management later said that more than 50 to 60 cars were involved in the pileup. The drivers and people in the cars have sustained multiple injuries. A separate report by CNN said that more than 20 people were hospitalised.
More than two dozen fire companies responded to the crash. Drone footage accessed by CNN showed dozens of cars and trucks pointed in various directions across the highway. The snow squalls happened after the New York and New England regions reported a strong Arctic front.
People speaking to CNN said that they expected the vehicles to slow down but none would stop, only causing the pileup to grow.
The office also said that three tractor trailers caught fire, according to CBS News. Pennsylvania state police spokesperson later said that a fire erupted involving several vehicles.
Read the Latest News and Breaking News here
Comments
0 comment