BBC NEWS
M8 fuel spill causes 14 accidents
A suspected fuel spill is thought to have caused at least 14 accidents and resulted in the closure of a six-mile stretch of the M8 in Glasgow.
Thousands of motorists have been delayed after the westbound carriageway was closed between junction 10 Barlanark and junction 19 Anderston.
The slip from the southbound M80 to the westbound M8 has also been closed off, leaving traffic backed-up.
Strathclyde Police said the carriageway could be closed for several hours.
Ch Insp Andy Orr, head of road policing with the force, said the first incident was reported early on Friday morning.
"Our crews got dispatched to a fairly minor road crash about six o'clock this morning," he said.
"Within a short space of time there were numerous other crashes and it was soon found that the road surface had been contaminated with diesel or oil, which necessitated the closure of the road for safety reasons.
"We are appealing for anyone who was on the M8 this morning and may have seen a vehicle leaking fuel to contact us. Gritters have been deployed to help with the clean-up operation."
It is absolutely pandemonium, there is no movement whatsoever. This morning is the worst I have ever come across
Stranded motorist
The emergency services have responded to at least 14 accidents following the spill, including an eight-car pile-up.
Four people have also been taken to Glasgow Royal Infirmary with minor injuries after another collision at junction 14.
The spillage has also affected the A73, the main road between Wishaw and Airdrie, which has been closed between the Newhouse roundabout and Newmains.
'Gridlocked everywhere'
Police said they believed the vehicle may have come from Newhouse in North Lanarkshire.
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Mobile phone video showing traffic backed up in the centre of Glasgow
Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service deployed two appliances to help with the clean-up operation.
One motorist told BBC Scotland at 0840 BST that he had been stuck in traffic for two hours on a journey from Shotts to his work in Glasgow that normally took only 30 minutes.
He said: "Eastbound there is not a car on the road - westbound it is just gridlocked everywhere. It is absolutely pandemonium, there is no movement whatsoever.
"This morning is the worst I have ever come across."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7624629.stm
Published: 2008/09/19 08:55:55 GMT
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