Twenty-six people were injured, one seriously, in a pileup Wednesday morning involving about 80 vehicles in the southbound lane of the snowbound Do-o Expressway in Bibai, western Hokkaido, police said.
Most of the injured sustained light injuries, with one suffering a broken leg, and were rushed to the hospital. The accident occurred at around 8:55 a.m., they said.
Police and other authorities said collisions took place at four or five spots along a 900-meter stretch of the expressway.
The pileup reportedly occurred due to skidding, they said, adding that it was snowing at the time and the expressway was covered with patches of ice. The speed limit under such conditions is 50 kph, and a snowstorm had started the previous day.
The accident halted southbound traffic between Mikasa and Iwamizawa as well as northbound vehicles traveling between Mikasa and Bibai.