Massive crash on highway in Japan kills 1 person, injures 26 as holiday season starts

TOKYO: (Dec 27) (AP) A massive crash in snowy weather has killed one person and injured 26 on an expressway in Japan as the country kicked off its end-of-the-year holiday season.

The Gunma prefectural highway police said Saturday that the pileup on the Kan-etsu Expressway late on Friday started with a collision between two trucks in the town of Minakami, about 160 km northwest of Tokyo.

A 77-year-old woman from Tokyo died, police said. Out of the 26 injured, five were reported to be in serious condition.