52-vehicle Pile-up On A Highway A31, Emsland Autobahn, Germany

The large scale of these accidents can close important routes for several days. The destruction and intense heat of fires can also damage roadways, particularly by melting and burning the asphalt. Bridge structures can also be weakened by the heat. A pileup inside a tunnel is most serious, as there is little means to escape the tunnel and the confined heat may damage the structure of the tunnel.
Major pileups