A sandstorm in south-central Illinois caused huge clouds of dust from agricultural fields, leading to multiple crashes and killing at least 6 people on I-55, police said.
Illinois Police Major Ryan Starek said the early morning accidents involved 40 to 60 cars and several tractors, two of which caught fire.
He added that at least 6 people were killed in these accidents, and I-55 was closed in both directions.
"The cause of the accidents is due to the high winds that blew and brought dust from the agricultural fields near I-55, which led to a lack of visibility," Starik told reporters.
The National Weather Service reported that the wind speed at that time was between 56 and 74 kilometers per hour.
Starek said more than 30 people had been hospitalized with injuries following the road accidents.
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