M25 traffic: Chaos on busy UK motorway after fire rips through tunnel

The was brought to a standstill after a car caught fire in a major tunnel on Tuesday.

Drivers faced horrific delays after the incident in the Dartford Tunnel's right-hand lane, with queues stretching back all the way anti-clockwise to the turn off for the A2. Delays of around half an hour were reported by National Highways, while live cameras revealed horrendous congestion in Greater London.

National Highways South East wrote on X: "The east/right tunnel of the #A282 northbound #DartfordCrossing is closed due to a car fire. crews are on scene. There are long delays on the #M25 anti-clockwise between J3 #M20 and the tunnels."

Traffic monitoring website Inrix said: "Long delays due to earlier car fire on M25 anticlockwise after J1a A206 (Dartford Tunnel). Congestion to J3 M20 Swanley Interchange.

"The right-hand tunnel was closed for over an hour, until just after 11:00."