A catastrophic chain-reaction accident involving at least 158 vehicles on Monday left seven people dead and more than 25 injured as a dense super fog shrouded the area just west of New Orleans, Louisiana in the United States.
The collision was exacerbated by the presence of marsh fires which severely reduced visibility for drivers.
The pile-up left a chilling scene of crumpled and charred vehicles strewn across a bridge over Lake Maurepas. At least one vehicle plunged over the edge and landed sideways in the water.
The Louisiana State Police continued their search for victims for hours after the initial crash.
Adding to the chaos, a fire broke out within the crash site, leading emergency responders to secure and isolate hazardous materials from a tanker truck. This catastrophic incident resulted in the closure of Interstate 55 in the region.
The climatic conditions observed at the time were labeled as “super fog,” which forms when a mixture of smoke and moisture from smoldering organic material combine with cooler air.
This perilous combination reduced visibility to less than 10 feet (3 meters) in the area, contributing to several accidents in the vicinity.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards expressed his condolences for the lives lost and urged citizens to donate blood to assist in caring for the injured. He also implored drivers to exercise extreme caution in an “X” post.