VIDEO: M1 re-opens after fatal crash leaves two dead

Highways England has announced a section of the M1, which was shut off following a crash that killed two people, has now re-opened.

Motorists can now drive on the southbound carriageway of the motorway between junctions 24 and 25 for the first time since the accident took place there at 2am on Monday (October 12).

An 87-year-old, who was driving a Mazda Premacy car, and a 27-year-old, who was a passenger in a Ford Transit van, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The van driver was taken to Queens Medical Centre, where he is believed to be in a stable condition.

Before the collision, police had received reports of a car travelling the wrong way along the southbound carriageway.

The carriageway was completely closed off after the incident.

VIDEO: MORE TRAFFIC CHAOS: Motorway may not re-open until 7pm following double-death crash

Approximately 25 metres of the carriageway had to be resurfaced across all three lanes and the hard shoulder, as the accident had made the road unsafe to drive on.

A Highways England spokesman said: “Due to the nature of the incident, it has done quite extensive damage to the road.

“And there was a fuel spillage which got under the surface of the road, making it very unsafe for other drivers.”

Traffic was diverted throughout the day - causing chaos on major roads in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Police are also appealing for any information about the incident to get in touch with them by calling 101 and quoting incident 23 of 12 October 2015.

UPDATE: Two dead in horror motorway crash