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5 dead in Colorado highway crashes after blowing dirt makes it hard to see

DENVER (AP) — A total of five people have died in crashes on a Colorado interstate involving over 30 vehicles, including seven semitrailers, after blowing dirt made it nearly impossible to see, authorities said Wednesday.

Authorities initially said four people died and 29 people were injured in the crashes Tuesday on Interstate 25 near Pueblo. But one of the people hospitalized later died of his injuries, the Colorado State Patrol said.

Dirt from parched land along the interstate was kicked up by heavy winds and blew across the interstate around 10 a.m. Tuesday causing a “brown out,” Maj. Brian Lyons of the Colorado State Patrol said.

“Visibility was next to nothing,” he said.

There were gusts of up to around 70 mph (113 kph) reported in the region Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Video from one driver stuck in traffic show waves of dirt billowing across the interstate and the wreckage becoming visible through the dusty haze.

The injured were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to severe, Lyons said. There were crashes on either side of the interstate, but the one on the southbound side only led to property damage, the patrol said.

One of the vehicles was a pickup hauling a livestock trailer, which was carrying 30 sheep and one goat, according to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, which was called to help. Some of the animals were trapped in the damaged trailer while others ran loose until its staffers were able to catch them, the humane society said. Four of the sheep, which were initially described as goats by authorities, were too severely injured to recover, the humane society said.

The cause of the crashes about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from Pueblo is still being investigated. The lack of visibility will be considered as one of the factors, but others may also be involved, said Trooper Sherri Mendez, a patrol spokesperson.

The strong winds that hit the eastern half of Colorado on Tuesday, combined with warm weather and very dry conditions, were also blamed for fanning wildfires and causing flight delays at Denver’s airport. More strong winds and dry conditions have elevated the fire danger there again on Wednesday.

Galápagos park releases 158 juvenile hybrid tortoises on Floreana to restore the ecosystem

FLOREANA ISLAND, Ecuador (AP) — Nearly 150 years after the last giant tortoises were removed from Floreana Island in Ecuador’s Galápagos archipelago, the species made a comeback Friday, when dozens of juvenile hybrids were released to begin restoring the island’s depleted ecosystem. The 158 newcomers, aged 8 to 13, have begun exploring the habitat they are destined to reshape over the coming years. Their release was perfectly timed with the arrival of the season’s first winter rains. “They are large enough to be released and can defend themselves against introduced animals such as rats and cats,” said Fredy Villalba, director of the Galápagos National Park breeding center on Santa Cruz Island, noting that the best specimens with the strongest lineage were selected specifically for Floreana. These released juvenile specimens, out of a total of 700 planned for Floreana, will be introduced gradually. According to Christian Sevilla, director of ecosystems of the Galapagos National Park, they carry between 40% and 80% of the genetic makeup of the Chelonoidis niger —a species that has been extinct for 150 years.
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