A windstorm which hit central Illinois on Monday kicked up dangerous clouds of blinding dust, causing numerous crashes that killed at least six people on Interstate 55, police said, according to The Associated Press.
The late morning crashes involved 40 to 60 cars and multiple tractor-trailers, two of which caught fire, Illinois State Police Maj. Ryan Starrick said.
He said at least six people died, all in the northbound lanes, and more than 30 people on both sides of I-55 were transported to hospitals with injuries.
I-55 was shut down in both directions in Montgomery County, 75 miles north of St. Louis, and likely will not reopen until Tuesday.
Starrick told reporters that it was a spring version of a "whiteout situation" typically seen in winter snowstorms. Gov. J.B. Pritzker described the scene as "horrific," according to AP.
Winds were gusting between 35 mph and 45 mph during Monday’s storm, the National Weather Service said.
Authorities set up staging areas away from the crash site to help travelers reunite with friends and family.