A lorry has caught fire (Image: National Highways Yorkshire/SWNS)

Lorry bursts into flames while carrying sawdust disrupting two major motorways

by · Daily Record

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Horror photos reveal the shocking moment a HGV lorry carrying sawdust burst into flames, causing major rush hour disruption on two major motorways.

The blaze erupted in an HGV just prior to 10.20am as at least four fire engines from the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) raced to the scene at Rockingstone Interchange close to junction 22 on the M62. The images from the scene show the lorry completely gutted by the fire, with just the framework left standing, the Mirror reports.

Traffic was stopped to a halt as firefighters tackled it, with a stretch of the M62 heading from Greater Manchester to West Yorkshire remaining closed this evening. Disruption is also affecting the M60.

It was carrying sawdust (Image: National Highways Yorkshire/SWNS)

Emergency services shut the motorway before extending the closure back to junction 20. Delays of up to 30 minutes continued on the M62 eastbound this evening, as National Highways continued what they described as a "complex recovery". Lanes have been opened on the westbound motorway.

An earlier update from National Highways this afternoon said: "The closure is being extended back to J20 to allow a better diversion route and to reduce the delays between J20 and J22.”

Photos from the scene show the lorry completely gutted by the fire, with just the framework left standing (Image: National Highways Yorkshire/SWNS)

The load of sawdust on board the lorry meant it proved "difficult to fully extinguish" as it "kept reigniting", National Highways said in another update. It was "not safe to allow traffic on the eastbound carriageway to run past the scene", they added.

Fire crews remained late this afternoon. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Thank you for your patience whilst we deal with this ongoing incident." Road users travelling eastbound have been advised to follow the hollow square diversion symbol on road signs.

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