Vienna - The Austrian Defence Ministry admitted Friday that its smoke grenades could have been the cause of a car pile-up in which a Czech woman burned to death in January.

The accident occurred on January 22 on a motorway near Vienna. Six vehicles crashed in dense fog near an army training site where five smoke grenades had just been fired.

Major General Paul Kritsch said he "cannot deny" a causal relationship between the grenades and the accident, Austrian press agency APA reported.

Although the grenades should have been fired at a minimum distance of 300 metres, the road was just 110 metres away.

State prosecutors are planning to investigate against members of Austria's armed forces on suspicion of negligent homicide and negligent injury.

The former husband of the 32-year-old Czech woman from the town of Znojmo is seeking damages from the army, according to media reports. He is the father of their
6-year-old daughter. (dpa)