A highway pileup in central China has resulted in 16 fatalities and numerous injuries. Local media broadcast images of flaming trucks and crumpled cars during the accident.
In less than 10 minutes on Saturday night in Hunan province, about 50 vehicles were engaged in several crashes, “with some vehicles going on fire,” according to a statement from the local traffic police.
Footage republished online by the state-owned People’s Daily showed multiple burning trucks bearing the logos of delivery companies, crushed and overturned cars, and a dark cloud of smoke rising from the crashes.
Traffic police said 16 people were killed in the pile-up, including seven in a single collision, while 66 others were injured.
“The injured were promptly sent to hospital for a thorough treatment, including eight whose injuries were relatively severe, whose vital signs are currently stable,” the traffic police said.
People’s Daily said the pile-up took place in the provincial capital Changsha, and that more than 180 rescue workers were dispatched to the scene on Saturday.
China‘s emergency management ministry on Sunday said it had called for an investigation into the cause of the accident.
