M5 Crash Today: Horror Motorway Pile-Up Involves 27 Vehicles, Massive Fireball
A 27-vehicle crash on British motorway, the M5, has killed “several people” Friday night, and injured at least 35 people, police had reported.
The multi-car smash-up is being described by British fire officers as the “worst road traffic collision anyone can remember.”
The crash happened near Taunton at about 8.30 p.m. GMT Friday, and created a massive fireball which could be seen for miles around.
It is thought heavy rain and fog had a large part to play in the horrific pile-up, but the precise cause of the crash remains a mystery.
The M5 motorway will remain closed between junctions 24 and 25 in both directions until at least midday Saturday as rescue crews continue to try and work through the wreckage and carnage at the extensive crash site.
Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Bangham said, “The incident was very, very challenging and on arrival crews were faced with literally one massive fireball.”
"Most vehicles were well alight and most continued to burn for a considerable time. This made it very difficult to search the vehicles. Some of them have been burned to the ground,” according to the BBC.
Fire services have indicated that 20 cars had been involved in the massive crash, and six other articulated lorries were also involved.
Bev Davis, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, told the BBC: “You knew something had gone on and then the flames were just so high so quickly and the noise was horrific. And then there were explosions, I think probably of tires going."
She added: "From where we were standing we could only see what was directly in front of us because the flames and smoke were smothering everything. There must have been 200m-worth of fire – plumes of smoke were going up and everything was red."
