BEIJING (Reuters) - Hundreds of cars piled up and crashed on a bridge in Zhengzhou, central China's central Henan province, on Wednesday morning after heavy fog struck, state media CCTV reported.
Photos and videos on social media showed several cars and trucks piled up on top of the Zhengxin Yellow River Bridge. A snapshot from CCTV footage showed one car being dramatically jackknifed in the middle of a pile.
According to CCTV, many people were injured and trapped at the scene of the accident, with the fire department on the bridge.
A preliminary estimate by rescuers at the scene was that more than 200 vehicles were caught in a pile and the injured were sent to hospital for treatment, according to local television.
There were no details on casualties or reported injuries.
According to the local weather service, visibility was less than 500 meters (1,640 feet) in some areas, including Zhengzhou, and 200 meters in some areas this morning.
The local fire department immediately dispatched 11 fire engines and 66 firefighters to the scene, according to state media.
CCTV reported that multiple collisions occurred in the north-south and north-south directions near the center line of the Zhengxin Yellow River Bridge.
A statement issued by the Zhengzhou Traffic Authority said the local traffic police had issued a notice prohibiting all vehicles from crossing the bridge two hours earlier due to fog.
The Zhengxin Yellow River Bridge is the main land bridge across the Yellow River, connecting Zhengzhou with neighboring Xinxiang.
The roughly 42-second video posted on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform showed lines of cars and trucks in varying states of damage, with people loitering on the bridge taking videos and photos. rice field.
"It's too scary. It's full of people. I can't seem to get off the bridge," said the driver, who is believed to be the photographer.
Reported by Bernard Orr and Ella Cao.Edited by Christian Schmolinger
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.