A minimum of seven individuals are {dead} and 30 injured after so-called “tremendous fog” triggered greater than two dozen visitors pile-ups on a US freeway.
Round 25 collisions occurred on the I-55 west of New Orleans in southeastern Louisiana, St John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre, informed CNN.
A mix of dense fog and smoke from marsh fires mixed to create the “tremendous fog”, which descended on Monday morning’s rush hour, drastically reducing visibility for drivers.
Pic: AP
Fires broke out in each the northbound and southbound carriageways between Ruddock and Manchac and visitors backed up for miles in each instructions.
Within the northbound lanes, about three 18-wheel vans collided and had been absolutely engulfed in flames, Sheriff Tregre, informed TV station, WVUE.
Within the southbound lanes, there have been two reported multi-car pile-ups, considered one of which additionally triggered a hearth.
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Movies taken by individuals on the freeway confirmed the way it had turn out to be a slim junkyard of mangled vehicles and vans, a few of them burning.
One driver survived after his automobile left an elevated part of the highway, touchdown the other way up in a number of ft of water beneath, WVUE mentioned.
Mr Tregre mentioned all first responders arrived on foot as a result of the crashes left the realm “fully gridlocked”.
Rescue efforts, he mentioned, “will take some time”.
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Smoke from the fires blended with fog to create a ‘superfog’. Pic: Lance Scott
Elements of Interstates 55 and 10 west of New Orleans remained closed late on Monday morning and the 24-mile-long causeway over Lake Pontchartrain close to New Orleans was closed at instances.
The Nationwide Climate Service mentioned on social media there have been a number of wetland fires within the area and smoke from the fires blended with fog to create a “tremendous fog”.
Visibility was anticipated to enhance because the fog lifted, but it surely was unclear how lengthy the marsh fires, smoke from which may very well be seen and smelled within the New Orleans space over the weekend, would proceed to have an effect on visitors.
A number of native faculties cancelled courses, the Instances-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate mentioned.
The Blood Centre of New Orleans requested for blood donors within the wake of the accidents.