Balmoral Show-goers impacted by overturned cattle truck blocking M1 motorway - animals put down
Visitors to the Balmoral Show coming from the west of the Province can expect delays this morning due to an ongoing crash involving livestock.
A cattle truck has overturned on the M1, several miles east of Dungannon.
The crash happened some time before 6am, and initially just the eastbound lanes were shut, though the authorities shut the westbound ones too about 45 minutes later.
It remains closed in both directions.
The fire brigade have said that “firefighters from Dungannon, Portadown and Armagh are at the scene alongside specialist animal rescue teams from Omagh and Newcastle, as well as specialist rescue teams from central”.
The Department of Infrastructure’s traffic alert service said that as of 9.45am “the live cattle have been moved to another lorry”, but “a small number of cattle have been put down”.
The authorities are “waiting on the live cattle to be moved off site and waiting on the crashed vehicle to be removed”.
North Tyrone UFU wrote: “For those heading to Balmoral Show this morning. If you think you’re having a bad morning l, spare a thought for this guy [referring to the driver].”
Diane Burke, head of Nationalworld in Northern Ireland, which owns the News Letter, was caught in the chaos early this morning.
She left Dungannon for the News Letter and Farming Life stand at the Balmoral Show, and after one hour and 20 minutes she was still 10 miles away from the Lurgan M1 closure.
"The traffic was going nowhere so I turned round to go back and work from home, and will head out for Balmoral when the motorway reopens."
Peatlands Boarding Kennels, based on Derryhubbert Road to the east of Dungannon, said: “Anyone coming in this morning be careful. M1 Motorway is closed due to an overturned cattle lorry, and our road is hectic with motorway traffic.”
Sinn Fein MLA Linda Dillon said: “This is major disruption and it is good to hear that the lorry driver is safe and well and vets are on the scene to assess the cattle.
“Emergency services are at the scene and we hope the overturned lorry will be removed as quicky as possible and the M1 reopens soon but I would advise drivers to avoid the area for the time being.
“We have been contacted by students who were due to sit final exams in Belfast this morning and this has caused them a great deal of distress.
“I have been in contact with universities to see if anything can be done to facilitate these students.”
More to follow.