2 killed, 26 injured in vehicle pileup on expressway in Japan

A massive crash in snowy weather on an expressway in Gunma Prefecture, Japan killed two people and injured 26 others late on Friday as the country's end-of-the-year holiday season kicked off.

Parts of the expressway remained closed for investigation, removal and cleaning of the wreckage.

Two trucks skidded on the Kan-etsu Expressway and collided at around 7:30 p.m. in the town of Minakami, about 160 kilometres northwest of Tokyo.

The site located on a straight section that follows a slight curve.

Vehicles coming from behind could not brake on the snowy expressway which was partially blocked by the crash, leading to a pileup involving 57 cars.

A fire erupted at the far end of the pileup and spread to more than a dozen vehicles, some of which were completely burnt. Witnesses said there was a loud bang and sounds of an explosion.

The blaze was put out about seven hours later.

A 77-year-old woman from Tokyo has died, and an unidentified body was found in the driver's seat of a truck involved in the incident, police said.

Five among the 26 injured were in serious condition.

Both lanes between the Yuzawa and Tsukiyono interchanges have been temporarily closed.