The pileup was caused by extremely dense fog and icy roads, according to officials
A major pileup involving over 200 cars on a bridge in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou left one person dead on Wednesday, local officials have reported. According to rescue workers and the state broadcaster CCTV, the incident is believed to have been caused by extremely foggy weather conditions and icy roads.
Photos and video footage from the crash, which have been spreading on social media, show dozens of cars and trucks piled up on the Zhengxin Huanghe Bridge, with some people appearing to be stuck inside their vehicles.
“This is too scary. Full of people here, I don’t think we can get off the bridge,” one person could be heard saying in one of the video clips.
Meteorologists have stated that visibility in a number of areas, including Zhenghzou, was less than 500 meters – and in some places less than 200 meters – on the morning of the incident. The extremely poor visibility coupled with icy roads is believed to be the primary cause of the crash.
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The local fire department dispatched a total of 11 fire trucks and 66 rescue workers to the scene, state media reported, noting that the bridge is still being cleared and has been closed to traffic until further notice.
Zhengzhou police have so far confirmed rescuing 11 people trapped in their cars and reported that one person died in the incident. No official statements regarding casualties or injuries have yet been released.
