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'Several injured' in tanker crash | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A number of people were seriously hurt after a series of collisions in fog on a stretch of road in County Durham, the fire service has said. | |
Police said two fuel tankers, two lorries and a car were involved in a crash on the A19 between Peterlee and Wellfield at 2215 BST on Friday. | |
A further crash involving 18 vehicles happened on the opposite carriageway. | A further crash involving 18 vehicles happened on the opposite carriageway. |
There was a third crash on a slip road involving three cars, including a police car which was directing traffic. | |
A police spokesman said: "Thick fog on the east coast is thought to have been a contributory factor in what happened and police are urging drivers to avoid the area." | |
'Absolute devastation' | |
David Turnbull, the fire officer in charge, said emergency crews helped rescue five people who were trapped in vehicles. | |
He said crews stationed close to the scene heard a series of loud bangs. | |
"When they responded they found absolute devastation on the fly-over adjacent to the fire station - 20 to 30 cars, a large number of HGVs, two petrol tankers and a large number of people trapped," he said. | |
Mr Turnbull said one person, who was trapped in car close to the fuel tankers, was one of a number of people who were seriously injured. | |
No-one is believed to have been injured in the other two collisions. | No-one is believed to have been injured in the other two collisions. |
Work to recover vehicles from the scene is ongoing and the A19 is expected to remain closed for several hours. |