Two dead in motorway coach crash

M11 collision between a coach and lorry forces closure in both directions around junction for Stansted airport

Two people have been killed in a crash that closed the M11 in both directions in Essex and Cambridgeshire.

Fifty people were on board a coach that was in collision with a lorry on the southbound carriageway in the early hours of the morning.

The driver of the lorry and a passenger on the coach died and six people sustained serious injuries, the emergency services said.

Others with minor injuries were treated at hospitals in Cambridge, Harlow and Chelmsford.

Essex police said: "Three coach passengers have been admitted to hospital and are being treated for back injuries, the severity of which is being established.

"Other passengers were taken to hospital as a precaution and have been released. A company coach has taken passengers to their homes or other destinations."

The motorway was closed in both directions between junction 8, the turnoff for Stansted airport, and junction 9 at Great Chesterford. A number of diversions were put in place and motorists were advised to make alternative plans, especially if heading to the airport.

Police said it was hoped the northbound carriageway would be open by noon and the southbound one by 3pm.


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