Two people killed in a motorway pile-up in Essex

Two people in a car have died and the driver and passenger in another car have been taken to hospital in Cambridgeshire.

A woman has serious internal injuries and was flown by air ambulance and a man was taken by ambulance with a head injury.

The carriageway is completely blocked and is impassable. The road will remain closed throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and find alternate routes.

The motorway will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so but the closure is expected to last for several hours, through the evening rush hour and into this evening. Current delays are at least 30 minutes.

Drivers, and in particular those wishing to travel to Stansted Airport are advised to plan their journeys and allow extra time to travel.

We have sent two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, our hazardous area response team and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance to the scene of a several vehicle collision between junctions nine and eight of the M11 northbound.

Police have closed the motorway in order to allow the air ambulance to land.

Very serious crash on the M11 northbound in Essex between junctions 7 at Harlow and 8 which is the Bishops Stortford and Stansted Airport junction. Road is closed northbound and very slow southbound. Motorist are advised to avoid the area and plan alternate routes.

Firefighters are attending the scene of a multiple vehicle road traffic collision. Three cars, one lorry and a horse box are involved in the collision.