Families have been faced with half-term holiday chaos after a lorry inferno caused five-hour queues on a major motorway.
Drivers left their cars in the middle of the road as black smoke billowed across the M5 from the blaze that caused four-mile queues.
As the motorway closed in both directions and transport brought to a complete standstill, some young boys were seen playing football on the empty carriageway to pass the time.
The blaze was first reported at around 9.20am between junction 22 at Burnham-on-Sea, and junction 23 at Puriton.
The section of the motorway partially reopened at about 2pm while fire service continued to put out the fire as recovery work is now under way.
The vehicle was reportedly carrying ‘potentially hazardous chemicals’ – with the fire service confirming both milk powder and diesel were onboard at the time.
Flames spread across the M5 this morning after a lorry carrying diesel fuel caught on fire
Young boys and teens were seen playing football on the empty carriageway to pass the time
Drivers left their cars in the middle of the road as black smoke billowed across the M5 from the blaze that caused four-mile queues
Queues of up to four miles were reported, with one motorist complaining they’d been stuck for almost four hours
The blaze was first reported at around 9.20am, and the road is expected to remain shut until at least 2pm
The blaze was so intense that fire crews had to use breathing apparatus to tackle the flames
Video footage of the incident showed the lorry on the side of the road, engulfed in flames, before an explosion.
The driver appeared to remain inside the cab for sometime before realising the scale of the fire and evacuating a few metres up the road.
The northbound carriage has now been reopened, but delays remain and the southbound side remains closed.
National Highways said in a statement: ‘The M5 in Somerset is closed in both directions between J22 (Burnham on Sea) and J23 (Puriton) due to a serious lorry fire.
‘Emergency services including Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue are on scene.
‘National Highways Traffic Officers are also on scene to assist with traffic management.
‘Traffic caught within the closure will be released via the rear of the queue.
‘Please remain in your vehicles and await instruction from a Traffic Officer or Police.’
Drivers abandoned their cars after the blaze caused five-hour long delays on the M5
The lorry was left burnt out with its cargo entirely destroyed – firefighters remain at the scene
The M5 closed in both directions between junction 22 at Burnham-on-Sea, and junction 23 at Puriton, and has been out of action since 9.35am
The section of the motorway partially reopened at around 2pm while the fire service continued to put out the blaze as recovery work is now under way
Firefighters tackled the inferno, which blew heavy smoke across the whole motorway
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘We are currently on-site at a lorry fire on the M5 motorway’s hard shoulder, between Junctions 22 (Edithmead) and 23 (Dunball).
‘The lorry was transporting milk powder and diesel, and we are using a telehandler to safely offload these materials. The driver is unharmed.
‘The southbound carriageway remains closed as our teams work to fully extinguish the fire; however, the northbound carriageway has now been reopened, with a reduced speed limit in place.
‘We are collaborating closely with partner agencies, including the police and the Environment Agency.’
North Somerset added it advised motorists to plan journeys carefully and check before travelling.