A chain-reaction crash involving over 50 vehicles occurred on an expressway in central Japan, causing fires in more than ten cars. Two people have died and dozens more were injured.
Foreign news agencies reported, citing Japanese police, that a crash involving over 50 vehicles occurred on the Kan-etsu Expressway in Minakami City, Gunma Prefecture, central Japan, at about 19:30 on Friday, 26 Dec 2025 local time. The incident resulted in two deaths and 26 injuries.
Police stated the incident began with a collision between two trucks, triggering a chain-reaction crash involving over 50 vehicles. At least ten cars caught fire, and firefighters took seven and a half hours to fully extinguish the flames.
The deceased include a 77-year-old woman from Tokyo and another body found in the driver’s seat inside a burned-out truck. Police also reported five people seriously injured and 21 with minor injuries.
At the time of the accident, a heavy snow warning had been issued. Police believe icy road conditions caused the trucks to lose control and skid on the highway.
Following the crash, the affected highway section was closed. Many vehicles were stranded in the outbound lane, with several burned beyond recognition. Authorities are working to tow these vehicles from the site.
Nexco, the expressway operator, said it needs to inspect whether the road surface was damaged by heat from the fires, and advised travelers to avoid using this stretch of the expressway.
A witness told NHK that he heard loud explosions from the rear of the crash scene and saw fires erupting, which spread to other vehicles. He and about 50 others were evacuated to a nearby toll gate, where they spent the night in the gate’s corridor.
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Source:BBC