6 die in multivehicle accident inside tunnel in Mie; truck driver arrested

TSU, Mie — Six people, including children, were killed in a four-vehicle accident early Friday inside an expressway tunnel in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, local authorities said.

A truck is believed to have crashed into two vehicles and a trailer at a section of the Shin-Meishin Expressway in Kameyama at around 2:20 a.m., catching fire. The six people who died were apparently in the passenger cars, which also caught fire, police and the local fire department said.

The driver of the truck, who was later arrested, and the driver of the trailer in front were not injured, the authorities said.

At the time of the accident, the section was congested due to construction work about one kilometer ahead that was restricting car traffic.

An emergency call was made to the fire department, reporting that a truck had crashed into a line of vehicles stuck in traffic.

Truck driver Mitsuyo Mizutani, 54, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by negligence, the police said, adding that she has admitted to the allegation.

© KYODO