Northbound Interstate 25 remained closed south of Pueblo late Tuesday night following a 36-vehicle crash that killed four people and injured 29 others, according to Colorado State Patrol. The closure extends from Exit 91 to Exit 94.

There is a detour in place, the State Patrol said, and advised travelers to avoid using I-25 in that area. During an afternoon press conference, State Patrol Maj. Brian Lyons said the northbound lanes are expected to remain closed for several hours as first responders work to clear the road.

The southbound lanes reopened at 2:35 p.m.

Of the four individuals who were killed in the crash, which happened just after 10 a.m., two were adult males from Walsenburg, and two were adult females, one from Rye and one from Pueblo.

Of the 29 individuals transported to two area hospitals, seven sustained serious bodily injury, one is in critical condition, and the remaining 21 were treated for moderate to minor injuries, according to the State Patrol.

High winds, which reached 81 mph at the Colorado Springs Airport, led to the dangerous conditions.

“This was one of those storms that came through and the wind picked up very quickly … and created a dirt or brown out,” Lyons said, reiterating that visibility was near zero. “By the time we got (high wind advisories/warnings) the crash had already occurred.”

The Pueblo Fire Department said the crash did not spark any fires, but they responded to the scene alongside many other regional agencies.

Gazette news partner KOAA reported that UCHealth activated its incident command center, and it treated at least 12 patients. St. Mary Corwin says it activated its mass-casualty alert, and it treated at least seven patients.

One of the vehicles in the northbound crash was a pickup hauling a gooseneck trailer containing goats. Four goats died and 28 survived and were safely removed from the scene.

Despite the high winds, a Flight for Life helicopter circled overhead, waiting in case its services were needed. However, the helicopter crew had trouble finding a place to land because of the high winds, according to Mike Cafasso, the CEO for St. Mary-Corwin Hospital.

State Patrol said the crash happened at Milepost 92, located on the outskirts of south Pueblo at South Gate.

Seven semi-trucks were among the 36 vehicles involved in the crash, according to State Patrol officials.

The State Patrol said an initial crash on the northbound lanes spilled over into the southbound lanes, leading to the pileup.

The National Weather Service said wind gusts in the area reached 65 miles per hour. The sustained rate in the area was around 40 miles per hour, according to Stephen Rodriguez with NWS. The weather service’s monitoring station is at the Pueblo Airport, which is about 8 miles from the crash site.

Because of this, “observation points did not indicate reduced visibility at the time,” Rodriguez said. Visibility at the airport was 10 miles at about 10 a.m., as the crash occurred, he said.

Pueblo South is the reunification center for crash victims and is located at 1801 Hollywood Drive, officials said.