In the USA, at least seven people were killed in mass pile-ups involving a total of 158 vehicles. The accidents occurred in thick fog on a highway in Louisiana, west of New Orleans. Photos released by police show a debris field of destroyed and pushed-into one another cars on both sides of the track.
At least 25 other people were injured, some of them seriously. They were taken to hospitals after the accidents, the police said. It is possible that more fatalities will be found. Part of the accident site on the Interstate 55 caught fire, among other things, because a tanker truck loaded with a dangerous liquid caught fire. As soon as the vehicle has been recovered, the situation can be better assessed.
The highway section runs between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain. Meteorologists spoke according to CNN of a “super fog” that severely impaired visibility between the communities of Ruddock and Manchac at the time of the pile-up on Monday morning.
The “incredibly dense fog” was caused by a combination of fog and smoke from nearby fires, according to the National Weather Service. The “super fog” is a particularly dense fog that develops under humid, smoky conditions and can reduce visibility to less than three meters, the National Weather Service said.
Rescue work will probably “take a while”
There were various accidents, as CNN reported. In one, several trucks collided and burst into flames, the station quoted Mike Tregre, sheriff of Saint John the Baptist Parish, as saying. A vehicle was over the guard rail Interstate been pushed, but the occupants appeared to be fine. The rescue work would probably “take a while”.
Louisiana has been battling unprecedented wildfires, extreme heat and severe drought since the summer. Sixty-two percent of the state is experiencing exceptional drought, the highest category, CNN reported. The city of New Orleans said the lack of rain combined with the extreme heat of the summer had dried up wetlands and lowered groundwater levels. A fire being monitored in forested wetlands is burning on and below the surface.