CHARLESTON, Mo. — Chain-reaction collisions Thursday involving dozens of vehicles on a foggy interstate in southeast Missouri caused at least five deaths and multiple injuries, and part of the highway will likely be closed for most of the day, officials said.
The collisions began about 8 a.m. on Interstate 57 as thick fog enveloped the Charleston area, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) south of St. Louis.
Mississippi County Coroner Terry Parker confirmed the five deaths and said a mobile morgue has been set up at a funeral home in Charleston, KFVS-TV reported.
Zach Bolden, director of Mississippi County emergency services, estimated between 40 and 50 vehicles were involved in the collisions, including several semitrailer trucks.
The interstate was closed for about 25 miles (40 kilometers) in both directions in Mississippi County from the Missouri-Illinois border to Sikeston, Missouri.
Robert Hearnes, director of the Charleston Department of Public Safety, said the interstate would probably be closed for most of the day. Besides clearing the vehicles, he said, workers will need to clean up diesel, beans and several other items spilled on the interstate.