Charred bodies found in Japan tunnel collapse, more debris could fall

OTSUKI, Japan (AFP) - Japanese rescuers found five charred bodies and a trucker was pronounced dead after being pulled from his vehicle following the collapse of a highway tunnel on Sunday, which crushed cars and triggered a blaze.

At least three vehicles - including a car, a truck and a wagon - were buried when concrete panels came crashing down inside the nearly five-kilometre-long tunnel, police said, according to Jiji Press news agency.

Witnesses spoke of terrifying scenes as at least one vehicle burst into flames, sending out clouds of blinding, acrid smoke.

For several hours rescuers were forced to suspend their efforts to reach those believed trapped under the more-than one tonne concrete ceiling panels that crashed from the roof as engineers warned more debris could fall.