Moment Tesco lorry bursts into fireball on M25 between J5 Sevenoaks and J6 Godstone caught on dashcam

The shocking moment a Tesco lorry exploded in a ball of flames was captured on dashcam footage by a terrified driver.

Anthony Moc was traveling on the M25 clockwise, between junction 5 at Sevenoaks and junction 6 near Godstone, last night when the lorry crashed into a barrier.

A large fireball erupted from the truck and poured flames onto the roadway as it swerved into the central reservation before coming to a stop.

Scientist Moc says he believes the lorry was trying to take the Clacket Lane services exit at the last minute before the collision.

“It hit the barrier and there was a big fireball,” the 29-year-old said.

“I was panicking and a bit scared.

“This was the first time I saw any kind of accident while driving.

“I was worried the truck was going to explode.”

The fire broke out at around 10.15pm last night and forced the closure of the M25 in both directions.

Five fire engines and two water tankers were called to deal with the incident and crews were at the scene for 10 hours.

National Highways says the fire caused significant damage to the road surface and the reserve’s central barrier.

Due to the intensity of the fire, the recovery of the vehicle has also been complicated as parts of it have disintegrated.

Work continues to remove the debris from the roadway and specialist cutting equipment is being used to dismantle the remaining parts of the vehicle at the site.

Moc added: “It caught fire very quickly and I was very surprised.

“There was a lot of fire.

“I’m not used to it, I’m used to my normal, boring driving.”

The clockwise carriageway of the M25 is likely to remain closed until the evening to allow recovery and resurfacing.

Lanes three and four are also closed on the anti-clockwise carriageway between Godstone and Sevenoaks.

Motorists are being warned to expect delays on diversion routes including the A21, A25 and A22.

A Tesco spokesman confirmed the incident involved one of its vehicles and the company is supporting the emergency services with their investigations.

The driver suffered minor injuries, according to Surrey Police.

Congestion is extending to junction 3 of the M20 for the Swanley Interchange and anticlockwise back to junction 7 of the M23.

There are also long queues at the A25 slip road to Sevenoaks.

Elsewhere, traffic is backed up for miles due to emergency works at Dartford Crossing after one of the tunnels remained closed for the day.

Some people on social media reported long delays on what would normally be short journeys.

South East National Highways network operations manager Robert Bell earlier advised drivers to avoid the area if they could.

He added: “The challenging nature and extensive damage caused by these incidents means closures will occur on the journey tonight and my advice is to please plan your journey, allow extra time and avoid the area if possible.

“We have diversions in place but due to these incidents impacting each other there is already significant disruption in the surrounding areas and we expect this to worsen as we move into the night commute.

“Opening these roads is our absolute priority and we are doing everything we can to make that happen.

“The M25 and Dartford Junction are major parts of the strategic road network, and we understand the inconvenience and disruption any closure brings.

“We appreciate people’s patience and understanding while these important repairs are carried out.”