Details are unclear at the moment but The Highways Agency believes a vehicle caught alight near the Coreys Mill roundabout in Stevenage and pulled over to the hard shoulder, it then exploded.

A spokesman said: “There was only one vehicle involved and it has been confirmed that one person died in the accident.

“It looks like there was a car fire followed by an explosion, it closed the A1(M) southbound.”

The accident happened at 1.50pm, with both lanes closed roughly 45 minutes later, one lane reopened at 4.12pm.

Firefighters, police officers and ambulance crews from across Hertfordshire attended.

Ambulance service spokesman Gary Sanderson was at the scene and hit out at voyeurs who filmed the carnage.

He tweeted: “I have just returned from serious RTC along the A1(M) in Stevenage and cannot believe people were filming the crash driving past #norespect.

“Not only disrespectful to those involved but risking their lives and the ‘blue light’ crews dealing with the incident!”

Details are unclear at the moment but The Highways Agency believes a vehicle caught alight near the Coreys Mill roundabout in Stevenage and pulled over to the hard shoulder, it then exploded.

A spokesman said: “There was only one vehicle involved and it has been confirmed that one person died in the accident.

“It looks like there was a car fire followed by an explosion, it closed the A1(M) southbound.”

The accident happened at 1.50pm, with both lanes closed roughly 45 minutes later, one lane reopened at 4.12pm.

Firefighters, police officers and ambulance crews from across Hertfordshire attended.

Ambulance service spokesman Gary Sanderson was at the scene and hit out at voyeurs who filmed the carnage.

He tweeted: “I have just returned from serious RTC along the A1(M) in Stevenage and cannot believe people were filming the crash driving past #norespect.

“Not only disrespectful to those involved but risking their lives and the ‘blue light’ crews dealing with the incident!”