On Sunday morning, almost impenetrable fog formed in some areas of Latvia. Near Kekava, this natural phenomenon caused a serious traffic accident involving nine vehicles. Traffic was blocked at the accident site for almost a day to eliminate the threat to residents.
Seven cars and one truck were literally piled together, reports the Degpunktā program (TV3). The second truck — a gas tanker — veered off the asphalt and overturned into a ditch. Emergency services worked at the scene for more than 20 hours due to the threat to the lives of those nearby.
"Initially, we tried to stop the leak from the overturned gas tanker. We were unable to completely eliminate it, but we were able to significantly limit it. Propane specialists refused to pump it out while the tanker was in the ditch, presumably for safety reasons. There are requirements that must be followed during the process. Therefore, traffic was closed to ensure a safe environment for people — emergency service personnel needed to work. When the tanker was returned to the road, the pumping was carried out," said Valdis Dzervē, commander of the 8th division of the Riga Regional Fire and Rescue Service.
Due to the accident, traffic was blocked, and people had to use a detour through Kekava, that is, via the old Bauska highway. Although the incident occurred on Sunday morning, traffic on the highway was restored only on Monday around six in the morning.
The large number of vehicles involved in the accident and the serious gas leak situation led to significant emergency service forces being dispatched to the collision site. An operational headquarters was established at the scene with broad participation from various services.
