Bus in fireball drama amid chaos on M6
This was the scene when a bus became a fireball on the M6 today, causing more than 20 miles of tailbacks on the motorway.
Drivers watched in horror as the double decker rapidly caught fire and quickly turned into a blazing inferno.
It happened at around 10am between junctions 14 for Stafford and 15 for Stoke on Trent on the southbound carriageway.
There was only the driver on the bus at the time and he managed to flee before the flames took hold.
Eyewitnesses said thick black smoke drifted across the carriageway, while tyres were exploding due to the intense heat.
The fire exacerbated problems on the already congested motorway, which ground to a halt during rush hour this morning when two lorries collided near junction 10 for Wolverhampton and Walsall.
The smash happened at 7.19am on the southbound stretch with queues back to junction 11 for Cannock. The Highways Agency said the accidents caused delays of up to 90 minutes, with traffic stretching more than 20 miles, all the way back to Sandbach in Cheshire.
Motorists took to Twitter to speak of their shock after witnessing the bus fire, posting pictures of it as they sat in gridlock.
George Bailey from Preston, who took this image from a car, described the scene as 'absolute carnage' and said there were huge tailbacks.
"As we approached I?noticed billowing smoke which was worrying. Then to see a bus in such a state was shocking really. Obviously your first thought is to hope there was nobody inside and that nobody was injured. The flames seemed to just rip through the bus and destroy it."
Another motorist tweeted: "Stay clear of M6 southbound between junction 17 and 13 - bus fire. HUGE queues!!! Luckily I'm heading north!"
The motorway was closed while firefighters from across Staffordshire tackled the blaze.
At 1pm this afternoon all lanes were opened but motorists were warned of severe delays throughout the afternoon.
