“Superfog” in US: 158 die in accidents involving vehicles

Seven people died in a total of 158 vehicle collisions due to dense fog in the state of Louisiana. At least 25 people were injured, some of them seriously.

Injured people were taken to hospitals after a mass pileup west of New Orleans on Monday (local time), state police said.

“Super fog” crash: More casualties feared

More casualties are likely. Part of the crash site on Interstate 55 caught fire after a tanker truck loaded with the hazardous liquid caught fire. Once the vehicle is recovered, the situation can be better assessed.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — At least seven people have been killed in massive vehicle crashes in Louisiana due to ‘super fog’, officials say.pic.twitter.com/W3n6hdiYM0

— Philip Lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) October 24, 2023

Photos released by police show a debris field of destroyed and stacked cars on either side of the tracks. The highway section runs between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain. According to CNN, meteorologists spoke of “super fog” that severely affected visibility between the communities of Ruddock and Manchac during Monday morning’s pile-up.

According to the National Weather Service, the “incredibly dense haze” was caused by a combination of fog and smoke from nearby fires. “Super fog” is particularly dense fog that forms in humid, smoky conditions and can reduce visibility to less than three meters, according to the National Weather Service.

Louisiana was ravaged by wildfires

According to CNN, there were several accidents. In one, several trucks crashed and burst into flames, the station quoted St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre as saying. A vehicle crashed into the guardrail on the interstate, but the occupants appeared to be OK. The recovery will probably “take some time”.

Louisiana has been battling unprecedented wildfires, extreme heat and severe drought since the summer. 62 percent of the state is experiencing exceptional drought, the highest category, according to CNN. The city of New Orleans reports that a lack of rain coupled with intense summer heat has dried up wetlands and lowered groundwater levels. Fires monitored in forested wetlands burn at the surface and below.

(Source: APA)