CNN
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One person was killed in a massive pile-up involving more than 200 vehicles in central China’s Zhengzhou city on Wednesday, according to state media.
The piling took place on a bridge that was shrouded in heavy morning fog, which caused several vehicles to crash, according to state-owned The Global Times.
Photos from the scene show the long, multi-lane bridge, stretching across fields and the Yellow River, dotted with vehicles piled into each other. Cars, cargo trucks, trucks and other vehicles can be seen in the pile.
In the videos filmed from the ground, the air is still thick with fog. A clip shows a truck sliding forward, crashing into several smaller cars, as sirens sound in the distance.
Many drivers and passengers were trapped in their cars, according to The Global Times. Rescuers and firefighters were deployed to the scene, including traffic and health services personnel.
An eyewitness told the Global Times that the pile stretched for several miles and that the wetness on the bridge made the road particularly slippery.
In some areas, visibility that morning was just 200 meters (about 656 feet), according to Reuters, citing the local weather agency. Several hours after the pile-up, police had issued a warning to cars not to cross the bridge due to fog.
“In winter, the temperature is low and there is often thick fog,” the traffic police said on their official account on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. It reminded drivers to slow down, use their headlights and leave dangerous areas as quickly as possible.
The viaduct connects Zhengzhou to the city of Xinxiang. Police closed the bridge during rescue operations, and traffic resumed later that afternoon.
