More than 40 people including several children have been injured after a coach overturned on the M25 in Kent.
Three people were been taken to hospital following the incident near Swanley at around 4pm on Monday afternoon, while dozens more received treatment at the scene.
The Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington, Kent, is on major incident alert, a spokesman said.
South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) said seven of those injured in the crash were children.
In a remarkable turn of events, Kent Police’s road policing unit later announced in a tweet a baby boy had been born on the roadside during the incident.
“Pleased to update no serious injuries with overturned coach at junction 3 M25,” it said.
“Proud to see all emergency services working so effectively together. And just to make things interesting a baby boy was born at scene.”
Lanes one and two at junction three anticlockwise have been closed, as has the exit slip road, causing major delays.
On Monday evening, queues of traffic continued to stretch back around five miles from the incident, causing delays for motorists of just under an hour, the Highways Agency said.
Kent Police said in a statement officers had attended the scene and advised drivers to make alternative travel arrangements.
“The junction three slip road on the anticlockwise carriageway and lanes one and two are currently closed,” the force said.
“There are delays to traffic and motorists are advised to seek alternative routes where possible.”
A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service earlier said firefighters had freed two people who had been trapped in the vehicle.
Three fire engines and “several vehicles from the heavy rescue team” were sent out “as a precaution”, he added.
Additional reporting by PA
