Probably the worst traffic jam in the world: Carling lager lorry bursts into flames on M62 to leave hundreds stuck in 13-mile tailback with no chance of seeing England match
- Carling lager lorry burst into flames on the M62 around 1pm, causing 13-mile jam
- England fans were forced to watch the last 16 tie against Germany in their cars
- Some fans managed to find a TV, but others listen to the 2-0 thriller on the radio
- Find out the latest Euro 2020 news including fixtures, live action and results here
Hundreds of England fans hoping to catch the crunch Euro 2020 tie with Germany today were left disappointed after a truck load of Carling burst into flames on the M62.
Supporters were stuck in a 13-mile tailback for several hours following the fire between junction 22 for Rishworth Moor and junction 21 for Milnrow around 1pm.
Many resigned themselves to listening to the England’s last 16 match on the radio as they waited for the jam to clear.
Footage shared on social media show the front half of a black truck, with the white beer branding, engulfed in flames with thick black smoke pouring out on to the motorway.
Hundreds of England fans hoping to catch the crunch Euro 2020 tie with Germany were left disappointed after a truck load of Carling burst into flames on the M62, causing a 13-mile tailback
The westbound carriageway of the main route through the Pennines was closed between junction 21 and 22 earlier this afternoon when the Carling beer truck caught fire.
Highways England reported 13 miles of congestion between junctions 25 and 22, with delays of 90 minutes added on to normal journey times.
Normal traffic is expected to resume after midnight, but lane four will remain closed through the night so the lane can be resurfaced and the central reservation replaced, Highways England said.
The westbound carriageway of the main route through the Pennines was closed between junction 21 and 22 earlier this afternoon when the Carling beer truck caught fire
Highways England reported 13 miles of congestion between junctions 25 and 22, with delays of 90 minutes added on to normal journey times
Some people stuck in the tailbacks took to Twitter to express their frustrations, after Carling asked users of the social media platform where they’d be watching the game from.
The branded account asked: ‘Be sure to tweet us pictures of where you’re watching the big game!’
Most of the 27 replies to the tweet were from people stuck in traffic after being caught in the aftermath of the incident.
One driver replied: ‘If they don’t move your wagon off M62 jct 21 I’ll be watching it here.’
After being contacted by Manchester Evening News, the motorist revealed a coach driver had let some footy fans use his loo – and he had a TV to catch the game.
He said: ‘Still in traffic, luckily got a TV in car and a very nice man from national express is letting people use his onboard toilet so not too bad just need a win.’
One Twitter user, @HonigUK, told PA they could ‘feel the heat of the blaze on the opposite carriageway in the middle lane’, despite having their car windows rolled up.
They described the incident as ‘scary’.
Highways England said: ‘The incident over in the Rochdale area is going to take a considerable amount of time to resolve due to the complexity of the incident.
‘We are working as hard as we can on the Yorkshire side of the hills to release trapped traffic and get people home for the football.’
There are not believed to have been any injuries in the incident, and the driver is believed to be safe and well.
Motorists have been asked to avoid the area if possible.
A car in the queue broke down earlier this evening, adding to the delays, but has since been cleared.
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