Illinois State Police reported Monday a multi-vehicle crash involving about 80 vehicles on Interstate 55 south of the city of Springfield. At least six people are reported dead and dozens injured.
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Illinois State Police spokesman Ryan Starrick confirmed the six deaths and said at least 30 other people, ranging in age from 2 to 80, were taken to hospitals with injuries.
"The cause of the accident was due to high winds blowing dust from farm fields across the highway, resulting in zero visibility," the spokesman said.
An estimated 30 commercial vehicles and between 40 and 60 passenger cars were involved in the major accident, which occurred near milepost 76 in Montgomery County, authorities said. As a result, I-55 was closed in both directions for miles between Divernon and Farmersville, just outside Springfield.
According to police, two tractor-trailer trucks caught fire. Authorities have urged travelers to avoid the area. The roadway is expected to remain closed until Tuesday afternoon.
Montgomery County requested 10 helicopters be dispatched to the area, 37 ambulances, and a nearby school sent school buses to remove motorists trapped on the roadway.
The number of vehicles and victims involved in the accident is unusual, said the Illinois State Police, noting that this is not the first time a dust storm has caused an accident in Illinois.