At least 7 killed in 34-car pileup on UK highway
LONDON - November 6, 2011
The crash on Friday night involved explosions, and cars and
tractor trailers burning "literally to the ground," Assistant
Chief Constable Anthony Bangham told reporters. Police expect the
death toll to rise and they fear they may find more bodies in the
wreckage, he said.
Bangham says witnesses had
reported dense smoke that made driving almost impossible at the
scene of Friday's collision on the highway in southwestern England.
Video footage shown on British news channels showed large balls
of fire consuming trucks, and billowing smoke at the scene.
Road accidents of this scale are rare in
Britain, and rescuers have described the pile-up as one of the
worst in living memory.
Bangham said Sunday police are now investigating a fireworks show
that took place around the time of the fatal crash. The fireworks
display was one of many organized over the weekend to mark Guy
Fawkes Day, an annual commemoration of the English revolutionary
who tried to blow up Parliament in the 17th century.
Police say they have finished removing all vehicles from the
highway in Somerset, but roads have not yet reopened.
