At least five dead in 100-vehicle pileup in Fort Worth, Texas

At least five people were killed and dozens injured during a 100-vehicle wreck in Forth Worth, Texas.

Poor weather conditions on Interstate 35W are to blame for the massive accident, reports CNN. The crash, which took place on Thursday morning (Feb. 11), was due to icy road conditions from freezing rain and sleet. The pileup involved between 70 to 100 vehicles, stretched nearly a mile long and included several 18-wheelers, according to Fort Worth Police Officer Daniel Segura. Because of the accident, I-35 was backed up in both directions from I-30 to I-820.

“We are going vehicle by vehicle by vehicle to make sure that anybody that is still trapped in the vehicles has been extricated if possible,” Fort Worth fire spokesman Mike Drivdahl said.

First responders have been working nonstop to save victims from their vehicles. With the current temperature in the mid-20s, they have been trying to keep everyone — including those who aren’t injured — warm.

“We were able to get a couple of buses from the fire department to actually put some of the victims from the crash — who were not patients, but could’ve become patients because of hypothermia — into the buses, so they got out of the cold environment,” said Matt Zavadsky, spokesman for the MedStar ambulance service.

Fort Worth is currently under a winter weather advisory until 6 p.m. because of the ice accumulation, which could result in “very slippery sidewalks, roads and bridges.”

“So many traffic/accidents this morning, especially across the DFW Metroplex,” the Fort Worth weather office tweeted “These events are so dangerous because the ice is spotty. We can’t stress enough that road conditions could go from good to dangerous within blocks. Take it slow out there.”

On Thursday morning, MedStar transported 36 people to the hospital. Several of them were critically injured.