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 06 July 2008 00:41 BST

One dead after dozens of cars involved in Austrian pile-up

Tuesday, 25 Mar 2008 19:33
One dead and 30 injured after huge car pile-up in western Austria
One person has died and 30 have been injured after a pile-up involving at least 60 cars in western Austria.

The collision occurred between the towns of Seewalchen and St Georgen on the A1 motorway linking the cities of Vienna and Salzburg.

Raphael Auer from Salzburg said he saw how lorries "slammed in from behind" in his rear-view mirror.

"I got out of my car and all I could hear was the screaming from the man whose wife had been killed," he told the Reuters news agency.

"It was pure madness, like a battlefield."

Police said the accident may have been caused by low visibility after a heavy snowstorm, which was also hampering rescue efforts according to Austrian broadcaster ORF.

It has also been reported that some victims remain trapped in their vehicles.

A police spokesman was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying the person who died was a Spanish woman who lived in Switzerland.

"One person died and several others are still trapped in the wrecks of their cars," he explained.

"It's too early to say what exactly caused the pile-up. But we had heavy snowfall this morning and the highway was covered in snow."

According to the Austrian motoring association OAMTC, at least 60 cars and lorries were involved in the crash.

Some 150 Red Cross workers and more than 45 police officers have been sent to the accident site in freezing conditions.End of story


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