Two women have died following a five-vehicle collision on the M4.

Emergency services were called to the eastbound carriageway between junction 17 for Chippenham and junction 18 for Bath at about 9.10am on Friday.

Four cars and an HGV were involved in the pile-up, and two women who were travelling in one of the vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene.

Wiltshire Police said specialist officers have informed their next of kin.

Two other people involved in the collision suffered minor injuries and were treated by paramedics at the scene.

The M4 was fully closed at junction 18 eastbound and junction 17 westbound to allow emergency services to carry out recovery and investigative work.

One lane on the westbound carriageway has since reopened.

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Acting Inspector Will Ayres, of Wiltshire’s roads policing unit, said: “Due to the seriousness of the collision and the vehicles involved, the recovery work and investigation at the scene is likely to take a significant time and therefore the eastbound side of the motorway will remain closed well in to this evening.

“We have opened one lane of the westbound carriageway, however there are currently a number of emergency service vehicles still occupying that carriageway. Once these are cleared we will fully reopen this side of the motorway.”