Five people were killed and 30 were injured in a deadly pile-up involving 40 vehicles at the Egnatia Highway in Northern Greece on Sunday. The tragic accident occured at 10.20 a.m. in the morning, near the Greek city of Veria, at the junction between Veria and Kouloura.

A truck crashed into a passenger car that was moving slowly due to traffic as a result of repair work being carried out on the highway, shutting down the eastbound lanes. The car that was struck exploded and caromed into the cars in front.

The fire brigade rushed to the region and pulled out the dead from the burning car that included two 53-year-old women, a 42-year-old Greek man and a charred body belonging to a Bulgarian national of unknown age. Victims were taken to hospitals around the region, however a 60-year-old man was added to the fatalities list after dying on the operating table. Three people’s lives are still in danger with two infants aged 1.5 years and 6 months are in a critical condition at Gennimatas Hospital in Thessaloniki.

The 39-year-old Romanian truck driver was arrested and is being led to the prosecutor on Monday. Some reports state that the truck driver made an attempt to take his documents and flee from the accident scene. Sources say that the driver claims that he had problems with his brakes for 23 kilometers and couldn’t slow down even though he had seen road signs warning of construction works ahead as well as the two men waving flags to warn drivers to slow down. He is being held for involuntary manslaughter.

The 42-year-old man responsible for the Egnatia Highway’s roadworks is also being taken to the prosecutor on Monday as he is being accused of transport offences.

It took 12 hours for the pileup to be cleared up and for traffic to be restored.