One dead in 200-car pileup on Chinese bridge shrouded in fog

Cars and trucks could been seen crumpled and piled on top of each other on the Zhengxin Huanghe bridge

A person has died after more than 200 vehicles were involved in a pile-up on a bridge in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou in heavy fog, rescuers and the CCTV state broadcaster reported.

Cars and trucks could be seen crumpled and piled on top of each other on the Zhengxin Huanghe bridge in pictures and videos posted on social media on Wednesday. One car was jack-knifed in the middle of a pile in a picture taken from CCTV footage.

“This is too scary. Full of people here, I don't think we can get off the bridge,” one person can be heard saying in one video clip.

Many of the injured were trapped in their vehicles and the fire department sent 11 fire trucks and 66 fire rescue personnel to help, state media reported.

Visibility in many areas was less than 500 metres on Wednesday morning and down to 200 metres at times, the meteorological service said.

Rescuers said more than 200 vehicles had slammed into each other, media reported.

CCTV showed that cars travelling in both directions over the bridge, a major crossing of the Yellow River, were involved in numerous crashes.

Police later closed the bridge to all traffic.

The fog is visible in many of the videos.

Cars crash in a pileup on a bridge in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China ( via REUTERS)

Fog could be seen on the crowded bridge ( via REUTERS)