Two kids among six dead in tragic 21-car Montana dust storm pileup

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Six people are dead in a Montana highway pileup Friday that may have been caused by a dust storm.

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Two children were among the six people killed when a dust storm swept into Montana.

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The accident is said to be “one of the most intense multi-vehicle accidents” in the state’s history.

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Around 4:30 p.m., a collision involving 21 automobiles occurred on Interstate 90, about 45 miles east of Billings.

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According to police and meteorologists, a strong thunderstorm was surpassed on Friday by a "outflow" surge of wind.

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The highway is a major route in both Montana and the Western U.S.

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According to Sgt. Jay Nelson of the Montana Highway Patrol, investigators have not yet discovered any further circumstances that may have caused the pileup that injured eight other people.

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“Everything is indicative of an isolated extreme weather event,” Nelson said. “What could people do? It really was just panic.”

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“In my 24 years of experience, this is one of the most intense multi-vehicle accidents we’ve had in the state of Montana,” Nelson said.