At least 15 people have died and 44 have been injured after an out-of-control truck ploughed into a 31-car lineup in northwest China, officials have said.
The incident occurred last night as the driver of the heavy duty articulated truck lost control on a downhill stretch of expressway and collided with cars lining up at a toll booth, authorities in the city of Lanzhou's said.
Ten of the 44 hurt sustained serious injuries.
The big-rig driver, Li Feng, was put under investigation and police watch, according to the official news agency Xinhua.
The semi-trailer was registered to Li's home northeastern Liaoning province, more than 2,000km from the scene of the incdient.
It was Li's first time driving the stretch of road, the China Daily said.
State broadcaster CCTV aired video from the scene showing heavy snow and many crippled and twisted vehicles.
Deadly road accidents are common in China, where traffic regulations are often flouted or go unenforced.
Last week, a scuffle between a bus driver and a passenger caused a bus to plunge from a bridge into a river in southwest China, killing all 15 people on board.
According to authorities more than 58,000 people were killed in accidents across the country in 2015 alone.
Violations of traffic laws were blamed for nearly 90% of accidents that caused deaths or injuries that year.
