More than 30 vehicles collided in thick fog on the M20 motorway in Kent on Saturday evening, seriously injuring two people and closing one of Britain's busiest routes to the Channel ports in both directions for most of the night, Kent Police said.

Officers were called at about 6.41pm GMT on Saturday to the London-bound carriageway between junction 9 at Ashford and junction 8 at Leeds Castle, near Hollingbourne, outside Maidstone. National Highways said there was thick fog in the area at the time, and some reports also spoke of smoke from a nearby fireworks display drifting across the road.

Source: Sky News

Two seriously injured, 11 treated at the scene

Kent Fire and Rescue Service said 11 people were cared for by paramedics, and police said two of them had suffered serious injuries — one was taken to a hospital in London and the other to a local hospital. Three fire engines and a technical rescue unit were sent to the scene, where crews freed and assisted people from damaged vehicles before handing them to South East Coast Ambulance Service paramedics; an air ambulance team also attended by road.

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No deaths were reported, and no arrests had been announced by Sunday. Police said the investigation into how the pile-up happened is continuing.

Motorway shut overnight, reopened early Sunday

The motorway was closed in both directions between junctions 8 and 9 while recovery and clear-up work went on through the night, with diversions in place. National Highways said both carriageways had reopened at around 5am on Sunday. The M20 is the main road link between London and the Channel ports at Folkestone and Dover, so an overnight closure hits freight and ferry traffic as well as local drivers.

Source: BBC News

The Met Office had a further fog warning in place until 10am on Sunday covering a large part of southern England and the Midlands. Kent Police have appealed for anyone with dashcam footage or witness information to contact the force through its live chat or by calling 101, quoting reference 07-1245.

Why it matters

The M20 carries a heavy share of the truck traffic between London and the Dover ferry port and Channel Tunnel. Fog pile-ups involving dozens of vehicles are among the most dangerous motorway incidents in Britain, and police are asking drivers in fog to slow down, use fog lights and leave far bigger gaps than usual.