Xi’an, China— A multi-car pileup inside the 2.3-kilometer Qinling Tunnel No.1 on the G65 Baotou-Maoming Expressway at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday killed two people and injured nine, filling the tunnel with smoke and trapping dozens of vehicles.
The crash began when a sedan braked hard near the tunnel midpoint to avoid a slower truck. A following SUV failed to stop and struck it, triggering a chain reaction involving seven cars and two trucks. One car caught fire after its fuel tank ruptured. Smoke reduced visibility to near zero inside.
Two occupants of the sedan died trapped in wreckage. Nine others were taken to hospitals in Shangluo and Xi’an with fractures, burns, and smoke inhalation. Two were in serious condition. Fire crews extinguished the vehicle fire within 30 minutes.
"I was in the tunnel, saw brake lights, then heard bangs. Smoke came fast. People left cars and ran toward the exit," said driver Liu Wei, 45, who abandoned his vehicle 100 meters behind the pileup.
Shaanxi traffic police closed the expressway in both directions for six hours. Ventilation fans were reversed to extract smoke. Tow trucks removed wreckage through the north portal. The tunnel’s lighting and ventilation systems remained operational.
"The tunnel is long, slight uphill, drivers speed to exit. Following distance shrinks. One hard brake inside causes a pileup," a provincial traffic commander said at the scene. He requested anonymity because the formal report is pending.
The G65 is a critical north-south route through the Qinling Mountains. Tunnel crashes are a known risk due to light transition and limited escape routes. Authorities installed distance markers and radar speed signs last year.
The expressway operator said emergency call boxes functioned and evacuation guidance played automatically. Some drivers ignored instructions to leave vehicles and walk to emergency exits.
The injured are in stable condition. Families were notified by late afternoon.
Investigators will pull tunnel CCTV and toll data to determine speeds and following distances before deciding on charges.
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