Tokyo: A massive chain-reaction pileup on a snow-slicked expressway northwest of Tokyo killed one woman and injured 26 other people late Friday as Japan’s year-end holiday travel season began.

The Gunma prefectural highway police reported Saturday that the collision involved more than 50 vehicles on the Kan-etsu Expressway in the town of Minakami, located approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles) from the capital.

Authorities identified the deceased as a 77-year-old woman from Tokyo. Of the 26 people hospitalised, five are reported to be in serious condition.

According to investigators, the disaster was triggered by a collision between two trucks. Cars following behind were unable to stop on the ice and snow, slamming into the initial wreckage and one another. The crash eventually ignited a fire at the rear of the pileup that spread to more than a dozen vehicles, several of which were incinerated. Police confirmed that no injuries were caused by the blaze, which took emergency crews roughly seven hours to extinguish.

The accident occurred during a heavy snow warning as many residents were beginning their traditional New Year’s travels.

Portions of the expressway were closed through Saturday morning as police conducted an investigation and crews worked to clear the charred remains of the vehicles from the roadway.

With inputs from AP