A section of a motorway was closed after reports of explosions coming from a burning lorry.

People living close to the M62 in West Yorkshire said they were woken at around 4am by a series of loud blasts.

A number of residents rushed to bridges over the motorway and saw a tractor unit on fire at the side of the road, with debris strewn across the carriageway.

Firefighters called to the scene near East Ardsley, south of Leeds, determined that the dramatic sounds had come from the vehicle's tyres bursting due to the heat from the blaze.

Kriss Waite, who lives close to the scene, said: "We started hearing bangs at about quarter to four. They were very loud, they rattled the windows.


"We thought there had been an incident on the motorway so we ran down to the motorway bridge. There was a lorry on fire and it was still exploding when we got there."

Image: The section of the M62 in West Yorkshire was closed. Pic: Rob Collinson

Transport manager Ms Waite said the driver was okay and appeared to have managed to separate the trailer from his cab.

She said it was fortunate the incident happened in an area where there are allotments closest to the motorway embankment as the flying debris could have endangered homes if they were closer.

Six fire engines and about several police cars attended the scene.

Police closed the eastbound carriageway between junction 28 at Tingley and junction 29 at Lofthouse, and warned commuters to avoid the area.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Numerous calls were received stating explosions coming from the vehicle, but on arrival this has proved to be the tyres of the vehicle that were exploding due to heat."