Monday 26 July 2021
Eight dead in Utah
Sandstorm causes buildup
Sandstorms are considered extremely dry in the US state of Utah. But last weekend wind gusts reached more than 80 kilometers per hour – and led to a buildup that killed eight people.
A sandstorm led to a buildup in the US state of Utah, killing eight people. The storm reduced visibility on a busy highway in western Utah to nearly zero, officials said. Children were also among the dead. Several people were taken to nearby hospitals, and at least three of them were in mortal danger.
According to the authorities, five of the dead were in one car.
(Photo: dpa)
Authorities said about 20 vehicles were involved in a “series of clashes” 240 km south of Salt Lake City on Sunday. Videos of passing motorists showed trucks, RVs, cars and trailers partly stuck together and surrounded by debris strewn across the road.
According to the authorities, five of the dead were in one car. “One of the vehicles with a trailer was almost completely destroyed,” a traffic policeman told local CBS channel. Utah Governor Spencer Cox was “stunned and saddened by the horrific incidents.”
Sandstorms are considered normal in the case of severe drought and desert form. And the Meteorological Authority warned, on Sunday, of winds of more than 80 km / h in the region, and advised “caution when traveling through the region.”