Seven vehicles were involved in two separate crashes which closed the M7 in Co Tipperary this afternoon.
The incidents occurred within minutes of each other and just a few hundred metres apart on the motorway close to the Birdhill.
It’s understood the collisions happened around the same time as a heavy hail shower, which passed over the area.
The alarm was raised at around 12.50pm when emergency services received multiple calls reporting the crashes.
Units of Tipperary Fire and Rescue Service; National Ambulance Service and Gardaí responded to the incident. A rapid response advanced paramedic unit also attended the scene.
Several people were assessed by ambulance paramedics, however, it’s not clear whether anyone has been brought to hospital.
Ambulance service resources were still at the scene over two hours after the incident occurred.
The M7 was closed in both directions with traffic travelling south from the Dublin being left stuck behind the incident for almost three hours.
Gardaí were able to open one lane of the northbound carriageway after a time.
Once the occupants of the all the vehicles had been checked by paramedics, work began on clearing the vehicles from the motorway.
Two vehicles crashed close to the flyover at Ballinahinch while at least three others apparently lost control and crashed just a few hundred metres further along the southbound carriageway.
The other incident occurred on the opposite side of the motorway at almost the same location.
The northbound lanes were fully reopened at 3.40pm while efforts continued to clear debris and leaked fluid from the opposite carriageway.
It’s expected that the route will be cleared and open again at around 4.00pm.
A Garda spokesman confirmed: “Gardaí are currently at the scene of a road traffic collision on the M7 involving a number of vehicles.
"The road is currently closed southbound. No further information is available at this time.”
