Over 65 dead in highway pile-up: fog, fire and a community in grief

Several vehicles caught fire and were completely incinerated in the impact, making initial rescue efforts extremely dangerous. A witness who asked to remain anonymous described the moment the crash erupted: "There was this loud screeching sound, and then a massive fireball lit up the sky. People were screaming and trying to help, but the heat was too intense to get near some of the vehicles."

The scale of the destruction prompted an immediate large-scale emergency response. Dozens of ambulances, fire engines, and specialized rescue teams were dispatched to the scene, with helicopters ferrying the most severely injured to trauma centers across the region.

"Utter devastation": rescue teams search the wreckage for survivors

As rescue operations intensified through the morning, Fire Chief Maria Santos gave a stark assessment of conditions on the ground. "The scene is one of utter devastation," she said at a press conference held hours after the crash. "Our crews are working tirelessly, but it is a very difficult and somber operation. We are recovering bodies, but we are also desperately searching for any signs of life."

Hospitals across the region declared a state of emergency, calling in off-duty staff to manage the sudden influx of casualties. Many of the injured arrived in critical condition, placing significant pressure on trauma centers already mobilized at full capacity.

The severity of the fires means that identifying victims will be a prolonged process. Officials warned that confirming the identities of those killed could take several days, given the extent of burns and damage sustained by many of the bodies recovered at the scene.