A chain collision on the Somonte viaduct shut the A-8 towards Galicia for more than an hour. Two people suffered minor smoke inhalation injuries.
The traffic operations centre received the crash report at 7.42am on Monday, 19 October.
Shortly after 7.30am, 12 vehicles collided on the Somonte viaduct at kilometre 384 of the A-8 near Gijón, on the carriageway towards Galicia. The Guardia Civil traffic unit described it as a chain collision. Two cars caught fire, and two people suffered minor smoke inhalation injuries. Their condition was initially described as not serious, according to ABC and elDiario.es Asturias.
Guardia Civil officers closed the A-8 towards Galicia after reaching the scene and assessing the damage. They diverted traffic onto the GJ-10. Queues on the motorway stretched for about six kilometres. Congestion also affected the GJ-81 and the diversion route.
The disruption followed a collision, unlike the roadside gawking behind the phantom jams described in an earlier report.
The response included two Guardia Civil patrols from Gijón. A patrol came from Oviedo, while the UNIS road-safety investigation unit was sent from Luarca. Gijón firefighters and medical services also attended. Crews dealt with the fires and assisted the injured, then cleared the collision site.
The DGT separately reported slow traffic for up to two kilometres at kilometre 384 on the A-8 towards Avilés. The right-hand lane reopened at 8.52am, more than an hour after the crash. EFE also reported that traffic resumed in that lane at 8.52am.
