JACKSON COUNTY, Ga. — Seven people were killed Monday afternoon after a tractor-trailer struck a van, triggering a fiery six-vehicle crash that shut down a major stretch of Interstate 85, authorities said.

The collision occurred around 4:15 p.m. in Jackson County, about 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, according to the Georgia State Patrol (GSP). Investigators said a tractor-trailer rear-ended a Dodge van, sparking a chain-reaction crash involving several other vehicles.

According to WABI, the van burst into flames, and all seven people inside were pronounced dead at the scene, officials confirmed. None of the victims have yet been publicly identified.

Aerial footage showed the burned remains of a tractor-trailer and a severely damaged car along the shoulder of I-85 as crews worked to clear the wreckage. The crash closed all northbound lanes until nearly 9:45 p.m., causing hours of gridlock.

The Georgia State Patrol continues to investigate the cause of the deadly crash, which marks one of the state’s worst highway tragedies this year, according to WANF/Gray News.

Update: