“Super fog” causes severe accidents – several dead
A total of 158 vehicles were involved: “Super fog” has caused numerous accidents in the US state of Louisiana. The weather service explains how the extremely dense fog could have occurred.
A “super fog” has caused serious accidents on a highway in the US state of Louisiana. At least seven people were killed. 25 injured individuals were taken to hospitals after the mass collisions west of New Orleans, the police said. According to reports, 158 vehicles were involved in the accidents. The number of victims could still rise as not all bodies may have been recovered yet, the police added. Part of the accident site on Interstate 55 caught fire, including a tanker truck carrying a dangerous liquid.
Once the vehicle is recovered, the situation can be better assessed. Governor John Bel Edwards called for blood donations and requested prayers “for the injured and dead”. The origin of the “super fog”
The accidents were caused by extremely poor visibility. The National Weather Service reported that there were several fires in wetlands in the region. The smoke generated during these fires mixed with the simultaneously occurring fog, creating a “super fog”.
The “super fog” is an especially dense fog that develops under humid, smoky conditions and can reduce visibility to less than three meters. The roadway of Interstate 55 crosses bridges over swamps and open waters between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. Fires in wetlands
There were multiple accidents, CNN reported. According to Sheriff Mike Tregre of St. John the Baptist Parish, several trucks collided and caught fire in one of the incidents. A vehicle was pushed over the highway guardrail, but the occupants appear to be fine.
Louisiana has been battling unprecedented wildfires, extreme heat, and severe drought since the summer. The city of New Orleans stated that the lack of rainfall, combined with the extreme summer heat, has dried out the wetlands and lowered the groundwater level. A fire that is being monitored in wooded wetlands is burning on and below the surface.