At least eight people were killed in a traffic accident early Monday on a highway in south Chile’s Maule region, the local fire department said.
A pickup truck stopped due to a mechanical failure on the side of a highway in the vicinity of San Javier, Maule region, and the occupants of a second vehicle stopped to offer assistance. A third vehicle traveling at high speed despite the fog and slippery conditions then crashed into the two.
Seven people died at the scene and the eighth died on the way to a hospital. Another three were injured and taken to nearby hospitals.
The second commander of the San Javier Fire Department, Enrique Correa, said the crash occurred at a “very dangerous” curve in the highway.
Authorities are investigating the incident.
Southern Maule has been grappling with torrential rains and flooding that has displaced hundreds of people.
