Major blaze as lorry carrying pigs catches fire on A1 (From The Northern Echo)
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Major blaze as lorry carrying pigs catches fire on A1
9:13am Thursday 14th February 2008 in News
The scene of the fire
SIXTEEN pigs have died after a motorway lorry fire early this morning.
The animals were among 200 pigs being hauled in a three-tier trailer on the southbound carriageway of the A1(M) in County Durham when the bottom deck caught fire at around 3am.
Police marksmen were brought in to shoot three of the injured pigs.
A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: "Sadly, the blaze resulted in injury to a number of animals.
"A vet was called in to put down some of the pigs and armed officers were also drafted in to kill three of the pigs the vet could not reach."
The accident, between the Chester-le-Street and Carrville junctions, completely closed the motorway for four hours as heavy smoke billowed across the carriageway.
A replacement trailer was brought in to take the surviving animals away, while a separate vehicle removed the carcasses.
The northbound carriageway re-opened at 7.30am and the southbound shortly before 9am.
The accident created rush-hour havoc, which extended into Durham City with traffic diverted along the A167.
