At least seven people have been killed and an additional 25 people are said to be injured, following a huge car pile-up on the I55 motorway in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The estimated 158-car collision was caused by smoke from marsh fires and dense morning fog on the road.
The horrific incident on Monday saw many commuters who survived abandon their cars which were either crushed or engulfed by flames.
First responders at the scene worked into the night looking for victims of the incident.
Seven fatalities were confirmed by Louisiana State Police
Louisiana State Police
Louisiana State Police spokesperson, Sergeant Kate Stegall, shared details of the incident in a press conference with the media.
Recalling what took place on the Interstate 55 northwest of New Orleans, Stegall said: "This crash that started just before 9 o'clock this morning has over 150 vehicles involved."
"It spans about a mile's distance and is broken down into several other crashes. Efforts to clear the scene were complicated by a tanker truck that caught fire."
Stegall continued: "Once that tanker truck is offloaded, they will be able to get to some further area of the wreckage and once we're able to get into that wreckage there's a possibility that there may be more confirmed fatalities."
The tanker truck was confirmed to be carrying "hazardous material".
Driver Clarencia Patterson Reed, 46, was on the I55 with her wife Lisa Patterson Reed, 56, at the time of the incident. Her wife was pinned inside the vehicle and was injured on her side and leg.
Clarencia told local media she was able to stop before hitting the car in front, but vehicles behind began slamming into her car, one by one.
Patterson Reed said: "It was ‘Boom. Boom.’ All you kept hearing was crashing for at least 30 minutes".
The New Orleans 'super fog' was aggravated due to marsh fires
Reuters / @NSGladiators via X
Authorities confirmed 25 people were transported to nearby hospitals, and others sought medical aid on their own.
The National Weather Service said there were multiple marsh fires in the region.
Smoke from the fires had mixed with the fog to create a 'super fog'. The Weather Service warned that "similarly dangerous conditions could occur in coming days".
They claim that although the occurrence of a super fog is uncommon, it’s not an unheard-of phenomenon.
