An unknown number of people died and dozens were injured after a massive crash occurred in Illinois due to the violent passage of a dust storm, authorities reported.
Illinois State Police Chief Ryan Starrick said during a news conference that the official death toll was not known, but noted that more than 30 people were taken to local hospitals.
The tragic accident occurred around 11:00 am local time on Interstate 55 in Montgomery County, authorities said.
Authorities specified that between 40 and 60 passenger vehicles and about 20 commercial cars were involved in the accident, including two trucks that were set on fire.
According to Starrick, the cause of the accident was due to excessive winds blowing dirt from agricultural fields to the other side of the highway.
“Actually, it looks like snow almost when I was sending videos [a mis hijos]”, said Karen Leach in comments offered to ABC News, who was caught in the storm, who added that it feels like “the end of the world”.
The woman, who was driving a recreational vehicle from Illinois to Texas, said she was stuck in traffic for five hours.
Police are currently conducting a secondary search for vehicles, but it is preliminarily believed that all were transported away from the scene.
The section of Interstate-55 is expected to remain closed through Tuesday afternoon, according to the Illinois State Police chief.
For her part, representative Nikki Budzinski indicated from her Twitter account that they are investigating the accident, and regretted the deaths that occurred.
“I am heartbroken by the devastating reports of deaths in the crash on I-55 today. My thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of these individuals and with all those who have been hospitalized with injuries,” the representative said.
“My team and I are closely monitoring the devastating accident on I-55 as authorities become more deployed,” Budzinski added. “Please stay safe as this situation continues to unfold.”
With information from ABC News