100-car pileup snarls traffic in China as cold snap disrupts travel across country

HONG KONG — More than 100 cars crashed into each other on an icy overpass in the Chinese city of Suzhou, state media reported Friday, injuring several people as extreme cold and snow continues to disrupt travel across China.

Footage shared on social media showed a variety of cars caught in the pileup, with one angled high into the air, on a road with visible signs of melting ice.

The accident happened around 7 a.m. Thursday local time (6 p.m. ET Wednesday) as the sun was coming up, Suzhou Industrial Park traffic police said on their official WeChat account.

Three people were hospitalized for their injuries, while six others were in less serious condition, officials said in a statement, adding that the road had been reopened and an investigation was underway.

Local officers also warned residents to beware of slippery roads.

Southern and central China have been experiencing widespread cold snaps, freezing rain and heavy snowfall, leading to disruptions in transportation during the Lunar New Year, the nation’s most important holiday, when millions of people travel home.

The Chinese government said Wednesday that it was stepping up rescue efforts, using “all forces” in the region to prepare for sudden and dangerous disasters caused by the cold weather, the state-run People’s Daily reported.

The China Meteorological Administration also issued “icy road” warnings in most central and southern cities.

Earlier this week, marble-sized hailstones fell in some areas of Zhejiang province, state-run China National Radio reported Thursday, citing the provincial meteorological administration.