Blinding snow causes 116-vehicle pile-up near Washington DC

Blinding snow has been blamed for a 116-vehicle pile up just outside Washington DC.

The snow caused mayhem on the Interstate 95 from Fredericksburg, Virginia to Washington.

Police say they were getting reports of crashes faster than they could input them on to their computer

A Virginia State Patrol spokesman says there are no reports of deaths.

Authorities say the cause of the crash isn't known, but the spokesman added: "I have to assume there was some sort of chain reaction."

The crashes have caused a 30-mile queue.

Another three crashes involving at least 20 cars were reported on the road, say transport officials.

The snow caused pile-ups on other roads in Virginia.

Driver Jim Roberts said: "I've seen a lot of bad weather, a lot of wrecks, a lot of killing. On a scale of one to 10, this is a 10."