US: ‘Superfog’ Blamed For Multi-Car Pile-Up In New Orleans Highway That Killed At Least 7
Louisiana State Police said an estimated 158 vehicles were involved and 25 people were injured in the chain-reaction accident.
New Delhi: At least seven people were killed Monday after a “super fog” of smoke from marsh fires and dense morning fog led to a multi-car pile-up west of New Orleans that left a string of crumbled and charred vehicles on a bridge over Lake Maurepas, reported Associated Press.
Louisiana State Police said an estimated 158 vehicles were involved and 25 people were injured in the chain-reaction accident. The police warned that the death toll could climb as first responders worked into the night looking for victims, the smell of burnt wreckage still heavy in the air.
According to AP, vehicles were crushed, piled atop each other, and engulfed by flames. Some people got out of their vehicles and stood on the side of the road or on the roofs of their cars looking in disbelief at the disaster, while others cried out for help.
Louisiana State Police shared aerial photos on their Facebook page showing the crashed cars and extensive debris on both northbound and southbound lanes of the elevated interstate, which passes over swamp and open water between lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas.
The massive crash was one of several accidents in the area due to heavy fog, police said.
Governor John Bel Edwards in a statement mourned the deaths and urged people to donate blood to "help replenish supplies that are being drained today to care for the wounded," reported Reuters.
He also urged drivers to take care from the "dangerous combination of wildfire smoke and dense fog."
As per the news agency, the National Weather Service said there were multiple wetland fires in the region. Smoke from the fires mixed with fog to create a “super fog.” Visibility improved as the fog lifted, according to the agency, but similarly dangerous conditions could occur in the coming days.
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