A coach carrying Manchester City fans plunged into a rolling inferno on the M6 as supporters were warned to stay off the roads en route to the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal. Firefighters tackled the blaze as tourists passing by the dramatic scene posted messages on social media advising fellow fans to avoid the M6 toll route in Birmingham.
Highways England has announced that there may be delays on the M6 southbound toll road between junctions T3 and T2 due to a vehicle fire. In a post on X, West Midlands Highways confirmed emergency services were at the scene.
“Traffic is suspended on the #M6Toll southbound between T3 and T2 due to a bus fire. Emergency services are in attendance. If you are stranded, thank you for your patience,” it said.
It is claimed that traffic is currently at a “standstill” as fans face multiple travel issues on their way to Wembley. Normal traffic conditions are expected to resume between 1:30 p.m. and 1:45 p.m., according to National Highways.
Ridleys coaches confirmed that the City fans in the burnt vehicle were evacuated without injury and are now on alternate transport to Wembley. “We can confirm that an accident involving one of our coaches occurred at the southbound M6 tollgate early today,” it said in a statement.
“All passengers and the driver were safely evacuated without injury. We are grateful to the emergency services for their quick response.”
“Coaches were transporting fans to the Carabao Cup final and all passengers made their way safely to the stadium in replacement coaches. We are working with the authorities to assess the situation and will provide further updates as required.”
The issue has been a problem for fans wishing to head to the ground, with some City fans unable to turn at Junction 1 to access the stadium from the A406 North Circular.
City are scheduled to face Arsenal at 4:30pm today, with both teams competing for the first title of the season. The Premier League favorites will be hoping to set a strong precedent heading into the final showdown.
Guardiola has led his team to success in this competition four times so far. Despite losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League, the Catalan manager believes his side are close to their best.
“I feel like we’re just below (the peak) in a lot of things,” he said. “We’re going to prosper, I feel it’s close.
“On other things, we need a little more time for people to understand what we need to do to get stronger in a lot of departments, but we’re pretty close on most things.”
