Fire causes rush-hour chaos

Enormous plumes of black smoke bellowed into the sky after a fire broke out next to a major route into London.

The Blackwall Tunnel was closed, causing rush-hour chaos last night following a blaze at a breakers' yard near the A12. Smoke rose hundreds of feet into the air after tyres and petrol in the yard caught fire and gas cylinders exploded.

Thirty firefighters struggled to get the blaze under control. A brigade spokesman said: "A cordon was set up 200 metres around the yard. We believed there might be other cylinders that could explode. No one has been injured."

A Transport for London spokeswoman said the route reopened in both directions this morning. Motorists were caught up for hours as police closed the A12 in both directions from the Bow flyover and the northbound stretch of the tunnel at the Woolwich flyover (A102).

The northbound tunnel remained closed overnight and motorists were warned to expect fur ther traf f ic problems this morning.

A number of power cuts reported in the area could be linked to the fire.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are urging motorists to avoid the area."