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Cows rescued from overturned lorry as M1 remains closed

Pacemaker the underside of a lorry can be seen after it overturned. there are a number of rescue workers on top of the lorry and standing to its side. The area is surrounded in green bushes, trees and long grass. Pacemaker
Most cows were rescued but a small number of cows had to be put down after the livestock lorry overturned

Cows have been rescued after a livestock lorry overturned on the M1 motorway on Friday morning.

The fire service and two animal rescue teams attended the scene, with 40 cattle involved in the incident.

David Doherty, area commander for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS), said the driver "is safe and well" but the Department for Infrastructure said a small number of cows have been put down.

Police said there is no timescale for reopening the motorway between junctions 11 and 12 in both directions.

Pacemaker Emergency services attend the scene of a crash on the M1 motorway. An overturned lorry can be seen in the distance with a number of fire appliances parked nearby. Another blue livestock lorry is parked close by the overturned lorry.Pacemaker
A section of the M1 motorway remains closed

Mr Doherty told BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show that 30 firefighters attended the scene along with appliances from Dungannon, Portadown and Armagh.

He added that vets were at the scene to assess the animals' welfare alongside the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).

The live cattle were placed into another lorry to be transferred from the site.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said motorists travelling city-bound on the M1 should leave the motorway at junction 15, the Moy Road roundabout, and travel through Armagh before joining the M12 at Portadown.

The opposite applies to those travelling on the country-bound lane.