Lorry blaze closes section of M1 in Derbyshire

An eyewitness said he saw fireballs shoot across the carriageway

The M1 was brought to a standstill after a lorry carrying batteries caught fire on a stretch of the motorway in Derbyshire.

Motorist Graham Tomlinson said he saw a lot of "black smoke" and "fireballs" coming from the HGV.

Cars were evacuated and a 500m (1,640ft) cordon was set up.

Two southbound lanes between junctions 28 and 29, for South Normanton and Chesterfield, have since reopened but drivers are advised to avoid the area.

Derbyshire Police said it was trying to get people moving as quickly as possible.

Mr Tomlinson, who was stuck in traffic near the scene, said: "There were fireballs coming from the lorry and shooting across the carriageway.

"[It] was a bit daunting I would imagine if you were near the front."

Drivers have been asked to avoid the area.

The fire was spotted by Highways Agency cameras at about 13:00 BST

A spokeswoman from Highways England said the motorway would re-open once engineers had assessed the scene.

She said it was likely that traffic could also be affected on Thursday as resurfacing was likely.

East Midlands Ambulance Service was at the scene to assist people stranded in their cars and distribute drinking water due to the high temperatures.