Update:
During further investigation this evening, emergency crews have now determined that there were five fatalities and six vehicles involved in the accident, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Turnpike Authority stated.
The investigation is ongoing, she stated. Westbound I-70 is still closed at mile marker 218, according to KC Scout.
Earlier report:
Four people are dead after a crash about 2:30 p.m. about 2 miles east of the Kansas Turnpike Authority I-70 toll plaza.
Four vehicles, including two semis, a car and a sport utility vehicle, were involved in the crash on westbound I-70, said Rachel Bell, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Turnpike Authority.
Both trucks were engulfed in fire after the crash, she said.
The accident location was in Leavenworth County. Traffic had been backed up on I-70 into Wyandotte County.
I-70 was shut down in both directions for a few hours, and eastbound I-70 has now reopened, Bell said. Westbound I-70 was still shut down as of 4:50 p.m.
Bell said initial reports show that one of the semis struck the back of the car and SUV, and afterward, struck a second semi. The cause of the accident is under investigation, she said.
The four persons who died were in the car and the SUV, she said. One truck driver was injured and taken to a hospital, she added.
One of the trucks involved in the wreck was hauling frozen food, Bell said.