Propane tanker fire shuts M56 motorway near Chester Published duration 11 August 2015

image copyright Haf Hughes image caption The propane gas tanker caught fire on the westbound M56 near Chester

A blaze that started when a tanker carrying propane gas caught fire led to the M56 being shut near Chester for six hours, causing traffic gridlock.

The blaze broke out at 15:00 BST on the westbound carriageway and was brought under control by firefighters by 21:00 BST on Monday.

The motorway was closed in both directions between junctions 12 and 15 and reopened in the early hours.

Many road closures have been lifted and a 1,600m cordon has been reduced.

Police said it had removed the motorway's central reservation so motorists could turn around and get off the motorway.

media caption People caught up on the motorway filmed the tanker on fire

Tom Jackson, who was stuck on the motorway, said: "I was about 20 cars back and we just saw the traffic start to slow and then come to a complete standstill.

"A huge plume of black smoke and then two small explosions, that may have been tyres, then there was a huge one which was like a giant bunsen burner going off way up into the sky."

Five fire engines attended the scene and worked with both the police helicopter unit to check the tanker's temperature and specialist staff from the tanker company.

Air traffic controllers were also advised of the incident to ensure flights at Liverpool and Manchester airports avoided any smoke.

The tanker caught fire on the hard shoulder of the M56 at junction 14, a few miles from Ellesmere Port.

The Manchester to Chester railway line has reopened but the line between Helsby and Hooton remains closed.

Earlier, stretches of the M56 became gridlocked, with traffic backing up as far as Liverpool, with a knock-on effect into north Wales.

Photos posted on Twitter showed motorists leaving their vehicles to sunbathe or play football on the opposite side of the carriageway, which was empty of traffic.

image caption Five fire engines have been tackling the fire

image copyright Cheshire Police image caption Cheshire Police tweeted this photo of the burnt-out lorry from their helicopter

image copyright @Mark_85/Twitter image caption The tanker caught fire just before 15:00 BST