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Tesco lorry fire causes long delays on M25

Motoring | | | By PA

Thousands of drivers are suffering severe delays after a Tesco lorry crashed and burst into flames on one of the UK’s busiest motorways.

National Highways said the clockwise carriageway of the M25 between Junction 5 in Kent and Junction 6 in Surrey is likely to remain closed for the rest of Monday.

This is causing delays of two-and-a-half hours, with congestion stretching for four miles.

Video footage shows the lorry travelling along the M25 when it appears to hit a safety barrier and become engulfed in flames before coming to a standstill.

The driver sustained minor injuries, according to Surrey Police.

Mike Heath, a 57-year-old HGV driver from Chatham, Kent, was driving on the motorway when he saw the fire.

He told the PA news agency: “I arrived at the scene around 11pm to see what I can only describe as an inferno.

“The flames were very fierce and the cars in front of me were reversing back once they realised how bad the fire was.

“There were lots of people standing outside of their cars videoing the incident when all of a sudden I heard two loud bangs which I believe could have been the tyres exploding, but it was loud enough for the people to rush back to their cars.

A screengrab from footage of the lorry on fire on the M25 showing bright orange flames
A screengrab from footage of the lorry on fire on the M25 on Sunday evening (Simona Andreeva/PA)

“I was stationary for over two hours whilst the emergency services arrived.”

Another witness, Simona Andreeva, 27, from north London, said: “Not long after I joined the M25 from (the) M23 was when I saw the lorry on the other side of the motorway on fire.

“It must have happened just moments before I stopped my car.

“(The) response from the emergency services was quick.

“On two occasions I could hear a loud bang coming from the HGV as it was burning, at which point they instructed us to move back with our cars even further.

“It was a scary situation, but I could see everyone who came to help remained calm and professional, and kept us all safe.”

Meanwhile, Susan Nicholls, a jeweller from Horsham, west Sussex, was driving home from Saffron Walden in Essex at around 10.15pm on Sunday when she said she heard an explosion so loud “it made me scream”.

“Lots of people were getting out of their cars and walking up to the fire, but there were quite a few very loud explosions, so that sent people scurrying back to their cars,” Ms Nicholls told PA.

“One explosion was so loud it made me scream. I think the emergency services did an amazing job.

“The fire was huge and they managed to put out the fire, clear the debris and clear a lane in two and a quarter hours, which I think is very good.”

Five fire engines and two water carriers were sent by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service to extinguish the blaze.

Firefighters remained at the scene until around 8.40am on Monday, at which point the lorry was a blackened shell.

National Highways said removing the lorry would involve specialist equipment, and the road is likely to require resurfacing.

A diversion involving A-roads is in place.

Recovery services at the scene on the M25 motorway between Junction 5 in Kent and Junction 6 in Surrey after a lorry fire
Recovery services at the scene on the M25 motorway between Junction 5 in Kent and Junction 6 in Surrey after a lorry fire (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Meanwhile, a closure of the northbound east tunnel of the Dartford Crossing between Kent and Essex was also expected to continue throughout Monday, after a maintenance vehicle broke down and caused a large spillage.

This also resulted in the need for emergency resurfacing works.

National Highways said there is a “large spillage within the tunnel”, which will “remain closed throughout the day”.

The Government-owned company added that there are “severe delays on all approaches”, with seven miles of queuing traffic.

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