UPDATE (2pm): All lanes have now re-opened but there is still "queueing traffic" and a delay of around 15 minutes due to the earlier accident.
SIX people have been taken to hospital following a collision involving four vehicles on the M5 heading southbound between junctions 21 (Weston-super-Mare) and 22 (Burnham-on-Sea) this morning.
The M5 was blocked after the accident this morning, and drivers then experienced "severe delays and queueing traffic" while the road was cleared.
The emergency services were called at around 10:15am, and National Highways South West confirmed on Twitter that "all emergency services including the air ambulance" were on scene following a "multiple-vehicle collision".
The #M5 is blocked southbound between J21 (#Weston-Super-Mare) and J22 (#Burnham-On-Sea) following a multiple vehicle collision. #TrafficOfficers and all emergency services including the air ambulance are on scene. Please allow extra time for your journey as delays building. pic.twitter.com/96kaNxRpNl
— National Highways: South-West (@HighwaysSWEST) February 24, 2022
Travel Somerset, the county council's live traffic alerts service, said there were "four vehicles involved" in the accident in an alert on its website.
Traffic heading northbound was held until just after 11am while the air ambulance was on the scene.
A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said: "We were called at 10.16hrs to a road traffic incident on the M5 between junctions 21 and 22.
"We sent an air ambulance, two double-crewed land ambulances, two operations officers, and a hazardous area response team, and conveyed six patients to hospital by land ambulance."
A total of 17 firefighters attended and assisted ambulance crews.
All lanes are now open on the #M5 southbound between J21 #WestonSuperMare and J22 #BurnhamonSea following the earlier multi-vehicle collision. Delays are reducing quickly (currently a delay of 15 mins). Traffic should be back to normal very soon. pic.twitter.com/aTq5l9XODy
— National Highways: South-West (@HighwaysSWEST) February 24, 2022
Avon and Somerset Police said eight vehicles were involved in three separate collisions on the "same section" of the M5 this morning.
A spokesperson said: "Emergency services attended collisions on the M5 southbound between junctions 21 for Weston-super-Mare and 22 for Burnham-on-Sea.
"The first call came in to police just after 10.15am today, Thursday 24 February.
"Eight vehicles, including a coach, were involved in three collisions on the same section of road at that time.
"The fire and rescue service and air and land ambulances attended.
"Traffic on the northbound carriageway was stopped briefly to allow the air ambulance to land and lift.
"Lanes two and three were reopened by 11.45am.
"Lane one closure was handed to National Highways at about midday pending recovery of the vehicles."
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