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A massive pile up involving at least 50 vehicles on a major motorway has killed two people and injured another 26. The horror incident came after severe weather warnings had been issued for heavy snow and icy conditions. Two trucks crashed after skidding on the slippery tarmac, sparking a chain reaction that caused at least ten vehicles to burst into flames.

The crash happened on the Kan-etsu Expressway in Minakami, Gunma prefecture, about 160km (100 miles) north-west of Tokyo, at about 19:30 local time on Boxing Day. A 77-year-old woman from Tokyo was killed, and another body was discovered in the driver's seat of a burnt-out truck.

Police also confirmed that five people were taken to hospital with serious injuries and 21 had minor ones.

Firefighters required seven and a half hours to extinguish the fires and bring the situation under control.

A section of the motorway has been closed off to traffic as police and emergency services continue to clear away the smashed and burned out vehicles.

A driver in his 60s said his truck hit the central barrier after swerving to avoid a car ahead of him. He said he heard the sound of explosions after he crashed.

The driver told Kyodo News: "The ice made it difficult for me to control the steering wheel," he said. I feared for my life."

Nexco, an agency which is responsible for maintaining the stretch of the highway, said checks needed to be carried out to determine whether the road surface had been damaged by the fire.

The company is warning travellers not to use the highway.