'Oxegen' bus catches fire on Dublin's M50

A bus carrying 40 Belfast music fans to the Oxegen music festival caught fire on Dublin's M50 today causing traffic chaos in the area.

Both southbound lanes of of the M50 were blocked, with traffic tailing back as far as the junction with the M1. The single-deck coach caught fire at about 1pm between the Finglas and Blanchardstown exits, and motorists have been warned to avoid the area.

According to AA Roadwatch, northbound traffic is also very heavy from before the toll bridge to the Ballymun exit, with onlookers causing serious delays.

Major knock-on delays were also being experienced on the M1, and traffic on the N2 also experienced serious delays approaching the M50, the AA said.

There were no immediate reports of any injuries following the incident.

Gardaí evacuated the passengers and four Dublin Fire Brigade crews - from Finglas, Phibsboro, and Kilbarrack stations - put out the fire.

Elsewhere, the southbound carriage of the N11 at Ashford was closed this afternoon after a truck crashed through the road's central median at 2.25pm in an incident involving four vehicles.

According to gardaí, one man was injured following the crash in the townland of Rathmore, but his condition is not thought to be serious.

The southbound lane was closed at the Ashford turn-off for a time, but the road is now fully reopen.