Japanese police said they received a call at about 6:30 PM on December 26 about a collision between 2 trucks on the Kan-etsu highway in Minakami town, Gunma prefecture.
This accident led to a chain collision and affected more than 50 vehicles. Some vehicles caught fire, and the fire was extinguished about 7 and a half hours after the accident occurred.
One woman was killed and at least 26 others were injured, including 5 seriously injured in this chain collision.
Heavy snowfall warnings were issued at the time of the accident. Japanese authorities believe that weather conditions may be a factor causing the accident.
As of 2 am on December 27, the expressway has been closed in both directions between the Yuzawa intersection in Niigata Prefecture and the Tsukiyono intersection in Gunma Prefecture. It is not yet clear when the closure will be lifted.
Also on December 26 in Japan, police arrested a man involved in a knife attack that injured 15 people.
The knife attack occurred at a factory in Mishima city, Shizuoka prefecture, central Japan.
Police and firefighters received an emergency call from the Yokohama Rubber factory in Mishima at about 4:30 pm on December 26. The caller said that 5-6 people were stabbed and some kind of liquid spilled all over the factory.
Firefighters said 15 men were injured but still awake. 8 of the victims were stabbed, and 6 were splashed with liquids that looked like bleach.
Japanese police have arrested a man on charges of intentional murder. The suspect confessed his name was Oyama Masaki, 38 years old, living in Mishima city.
Police have not yet revealed whether the suspect has admitted the charges or not. Investigation sources say the suspect is related to the factory.
