M5 fully reopened after car transporter fire

The M5 in Devon has fully reopened after a major incident was declared by emergency services when a lorry carrying electric vehicles caught fire.

The motorway was shut in both directions for several hours between junction 28 at Cullompton and junction 29 for Exeter from about 06:30 BST on Wednesday.

The northbound carriageway reopened at about 10:20 followed by two of the southbound lanes at about 18:00.

National Highways said all the southbound lanes had reopened on Thursday after emergency repair works overnight.

National Highways said there had already been planned works which would take place on Wednesday night and emergency resurfacing was completed alongside this.

Emergency services said a car transporter carrying nine electric vehicles had caught fire on the southbound carriageway.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the cars had been completely damaged by fire.

A spokesperson said the cause of the fire was accidental.

'Huge inferno'

Dan Cooke said he had been stuck in the traffic for three hours.

He said: "It was a huge inferno of flames that was on the tail-end of the transporter.

"We were sat there on the motorway, I've never seen so many fire engines turn up and police, ambulance, emergency services.

"Thankfully no-one was hurt. Driving past the wreckage, there must've been significant heat."