At least seven people were killed and 51 injured in a horrific crash on the M5 motorway described by the emergency services as one of the worst they have ever seen.


There are fears the death toll could soar even higher as police said they believe bodies may still be trapped in vehicles which have been left 'burnt and unrecognisable'.


The smash on the northbound carriageway near Taunton, Somerset, involved 34 vehicles. Police said the vehicles were 'immediately alight' following the crash as a huge fire engulfed the carriageway.

Officers confirmed that a fireworks display was going on nearby when the collision happened at 8.25pm last night. They said the road was wet and there was fog in the area at the time.

Speaking at the scene, Avon and Somerset assistant chief constable Anthony Bangham said: 'Seven people are confirmed to have died as a result of this tragic incident and we do believe there could be more deaths

'Our thoughts are with those who may have lost loved ones as a result of

'A large scale multi-agency operation continues at the scene to remove vehicles, check that there are no other casualties and repair the carriageway.

'This is a hugely complex operation because of the scale of vehicles and people involved. All vehicles will need to be removed from the scene for forensic examination and this of course takes time.'

Television footage showed motorists trying to pry open vehicle doors in a bid to rescue those trapped. The carriageway will remain closed until at least tomorrow as repairs are carried out.

The accident is already the worst on British roads since 1991 when 10 people were killed and 25 injured in a huge pile-up on the M4 in Hungerford, Berkshire.


This afternoon Transport Secretary Justine Greening expressed sympathy with the familes of those affected by the tragedy and thanked rescue rescue workers and emergency staff who worked throughout the night to help the injured.


Fifteen appliances raced to the scene and immediately closed off the motorway in both directions. It is expected to be shut for the next 24 hours while emergency workers recover bodies and clear the debris from the accident.



Firefighters used hydraulic equipment to pull injured from the wrecked vehicles. Some had 'life changing' injuries.


Witnesses claim the pile-up was triggered when an Iceland truck suddenly disappeared into a 'black hole' of fog. Ciara Neno, from Weston-super-Mare, said: 'A black fog came down and the Iceland truck literally disappeared.
'We managed to brake and miss the lorry but it was too late, the carnage had already started.


'All we heard was thump, thump, thump. My husband dragged people from the cars, the smell was horrendous and there were a number of explosions.
'We walked away but others weren't so lucky.'Motorist Paul O'Connor described the aftermath of the pile-up as 'disturbing'.


'I heard a loud bang and saw the flames,' he told Sky News.'I thought it was something to do with bonfire night and then realised it was something quite bad. It was quite horrific and I have never seen anything like that - I could see people lying on the side of the road. It was quite disturbing really.'[related


Mr O'Connor, who was travelling to Plymouth when the incident happened, added: 'I saw two people lying down and there were quite a lot of people around them - the emergency services were doing what they could, I don't know if they were OK.'I heard at one point firefighters telling people trapped inside a vehicle not to panic and they were trying to do what they could to get them out.' The motorist said he had to pull off the motorway at a service station after witnessing the carnage. I think there were other people who had seen it and done the same.'
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