News
A car burns after a multi-vehicle collision on the A-5 near Móstoles
The A-5 had a difficult morning this Thursday near Móstoles. A rear-end collision involving three cars, at kilometre 17 on the outbound side from Madrid, ended with one of the cars on fire on the service road.
The accident occurred shortly after 10:00 and forced traffic on that stretch to be temporarily closed. The fire generated a column of smoke visible from the road and caused tailbacks in an area already sensitive for those leaving the capital towards the south-west.
Despite the spectacular nature of the fire, no serious injuries were reported. Health services treated several people with minor injuries at the scene, without the need to activate a larger-scale medical operation.
Madrid City Council Fire Brigade, Alcorcón Fire Brigade, Summa 112 and the Guardia Civil went to the area. The response made it possible to put out the flames, secure the vehicles involved and reopen the service road after several minutes of closure.
Normality returned progressively, although the tailbacks took somewhat longer to clear. On a road such as the A-5, any incident during a busy period quickly affects access roads, slip roads and alternative routes.
The incident once again highlights the fragility of Madrid’s major inbound and outbound corridors. A rear-end collision, a stopped vehicle or a fire such as this Thursday’s is enough for hundreds of drivers to see a morning that looked routine on paper disrupted.