At least six people were killed and others injured in southern Montana in a major car accident Friday afternoon during a wind storm that stoked dust and created “near-blackout conditions,” authorities said.
The crash on Interstate 90 outside Hardin, Mont., a town of 3,800 residents about 50 miles east of Billings, involved 21 vehicles, including six semi-trucks, Sgt. Jay Nelson, a spokesman for the Montana Highway Patrol, said in an interview. It was not immediately clear how many people had been injured, he said.
Authorities did not immediately release the names or ages of the victims.
“Everything indicates that there was an isolated weather event that caused a near blackout at this location,” Sergeant Nelson said. “A dust storm in the area with extremely high winds is the preliminary cause of the crash.”
On Friday afternoon, thunderstorms in the area produced strong billowing winds known as outflows, which travel about 30 miles before the storms, said Nick Vertz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings.
Late in the afternoon there were gusts of 62 miles per hour that picked up dust and reduced visibility to less than a quarter of a mile, he said. Typically, the wind gusts produced by these storms are 30 to 40 miles per hour, Mr. Vertz said.
The crash, which happened around 4:30 p.m., shut down traffic on Interstate 90 while highway patrol investigated. By 9 p.m., eastbound lanes were still closed and officials diverted traffic.
Governor Greg Gianforte said on Twitter late Friday that he was “deeply saddened by the news of a mass casualty crash near Hardin.”
“Please pray with me to lift the victims and their loved ones,” he said. “We are grateful to our first responders for their service.”