Long delays after tanker fire closes M1 near Chesterfield

• Video courtesy of Meghan Luton

Motorists faced hours of disruption after the M1 was closed following a tanker fire.

Pictures from the scene showed the lorry engulfed in flames on the southbound carriageway between junctions 29 and 28, near Tibshelf services, on Tuesday morning.

Witnesses described hearing explosions. Large amounts of smoke billowed across the area.

In an initial post on X, formerly Twitter, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said four fire engines, two water carriers and a foam unit were sent to the scene.

A spokesperson said: "The road is closed in both directions. There is a large smoke plume in the area. Local residents are advised to keep their windows and doors shut."

Traffic monitoring site Inrix said all traffic was held at around 11am. A broken down car in the queues caused further delays.

It said "severe delays" continued into Tuesday evening rush hour.

National Highways said traffic officers were also at the scene providing assistance with traffic management.

In a further update on Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson said: "An extensive clean up operation is required and this is likely to remain ongoing throughout the rest of the day."

Motorists have been advised to follow diversions put in place.

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