1 dead, 26 injured in 50-vehicle expressway pileup northwest of Tokyo

This photo taken in Minakami, Gunma Prefecture, shows a damaged median and a vehicle pileup on the Kan-etsu Expressway on Dec. 27, 2025. (Kyodo)

MAEBASHI, Japan (Kyodo) — A massive pileup involving over 50 vehicles on Friday left one person dead and 26 others injured, five of them seriously, on an expressway in Gunma Prefecture northwest of Tokyo, police said.

The pileup occurred on the outbound lane of the Kan-etsu Expressway in Minakami at around 7:30 p.m. after vehicles likely skidded on the icy surface as snow fell, according to the police. At least 17 vehicles caught fire.

A woman thought to be in her 70s died, while 21 people suffered minor injuries. A section of the expressway was subsequently closed, with a row of badly damaged vehicles, some charred beyond recognition, clogging the outbound lane.

A driver in his 60s said his truck hit the median after swerving to avoid a car ahead of him. He also heard the sound of explosions four times behind him.

“The ice made it difficult for me to control the steering wheel,” he said. “I feared for my life.”