Carriageway drama as crane explodes

The crane, which belonged to County Cavan-based O'Reilly's Concrete, first burst into flames near the TK Diner at about 6.30pm, widely disrupting traffic on the busy road.

Firefighters were moving into place to douse the flames billowing from the vehicle when it exploded, the blast hurling a wheel to the far side of the carriageway to embed itself in a grass bank.

The wheel missed a car, with two female passengers, by feet, but no-one was hurt.

One witness, who was travelling along the A1 when the crane caught fire, said, “Firemen were just beginning to move people and cars out of the way to try and put the flames out and there was this ferocious boom, an almighty noise, as one of the wheels blew off and the crane exploded.

"It nearly hit a car on the other side of the road and the ferocity of the blast actually shattered glass on the inside of that vehicle.

"People were shaken up but they were okay; I've never seen anything like it."

The A1 was closed in both directions as the incident unfolded, with vehicles travelling south diverted along the Old Dromara Road, but by Thursday morning the carriageway was gradually re-opening.

The Lisburn-bound lane was by then back in operation, with the Newry-bound lane due to remain closed until after rush-hour.