Two children are among the six people killed in a Montana overcrowding after a dust storm Friday night caused blackout conditions on Interstate 90, a major route in both Montana and the western United States. .
The Montana Highway Patrol Sergeant. Jay Nelson said investigators have so far found no other factor that has contributed to the overcrowding that also sent eight more injured people to hospitals.
“Everything is indicative of an extremely isolated weather event,” Nelson said of the investigation, describing the accident as the worst he had seen in 24 years with the state. “What could people do? It was really just panic.”
The overcrowding was west of Hardin, with additional ambulances called from Billings to help. The identities of the dead and the conditions of the survivors are not yet revealed.
The crash was reported around 4:30 p.m., as 21 vehicles, including six commercial semi-trucks, lost control in the dust storm that was fueled by gusts exceeding 97 kilometers per hour. (60 mph), authorities said.
Nelson said there was no visibility for a one-mile stretch during a rush hour of summer traffic for those traveling home from work or traveling for outdoor recreation.
It took more than six hours to completely reopen the road.
“We had a lot of rubble and complete chaos,” Nelson said.
Gov. Greg Gianforte said on Twitter: “I am deeply saddened by the news of a mass casualty accident near Hardin. Please join me in prayer to lift the victims and their loved ones. “We are grateful to our leaders for their service.”
I am deeply saddened by the news of a mass casualty accident near Hardin. Please join me in praying to lift the victims and their loved ones. We are grateful to our first managers for their service.
– Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) July 16, 2022
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who oversees the road patrol, said in a statement that the Montana road patrol, which he oversees, was investigating. “We will post more information as it becomes available and appropriate for respect for lost lives and their loved ones.
A video from The Billings Gazette showed hundreds of tractors, motorhomes and cars propped up for miles along the two eastbound lanes of the interstate.
Prior to the buildup, storms appeared in south central Montana between 1 and 2 p.m., and slowly began to move east, said Nick Vertz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings.
These storms caused severe storm surveillance covering Hardin and other parts of Montana from mid-afternoon until 9pm on Friday night. Meteorologists predicted the possibility of isolated hail the size of a quarter, scattered gusts of up to 75 mph (121 km / h) and frequent lightning.
Vertz said the so-called exit, or wind wave produced by the storms, flew about 30 miles (48 kilometers) ahead of the storms.
Winds rose rapidly around the time of the crash, according to readings at the nearby Big Horn County airport. A gust of 40 mph (64 km / h) was recorded about 15 minutes before the crash was noticed and in less than an hour another gust of wind hit 64 (103 km / h).
The wind picked up dust easily, a product of recent 90s and three-digit temperatures over the past week, and reduced visibility to less than 1/4 mile (0.4 kilometers).
“If they looked at the sky while they were at Hardin, they probably wouldn’t see much of what would be thought of for a storm cloud, maybe not even,” Vertz said. “It was just a wave of wind that came out of nowhere.”